Following the deadliest mass shooting in modern United States history, Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White has announced that the Las Vegas-based promotion will donate $1 million to a victim support fund for those impacted by the tragedy.
White confirmed the news of the pending donation to the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Adam Hill on Monday. The UFC boss also confirmed that UFC 216, scheduled for this Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, would go on as planned.
“The fighters are already in town,” White told Hill. “As far as the event goes, it’s on.”
On Sunday evening, at least 59 were killed and 527 were injured at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival in the Las Vegas Village when 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire on the crowd from the 32nd floor of the nearby Manadalay Bay. Paddock was found dead in his room by Las Vegas Metro Police after shooting himself following the attack.
“At the end of the day, this is our city — we love this place,” White told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto Monday. “The first thing when we got up this morning, everybody, personally, got it together and made sure anybody they know or love was OK. Then we came in here and made sure all of our employees are OK.”
In addition to the $1 million donation, Saturday’s UFC 216 card, headlined by an interim lightweight title fight between Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee, will be “dedicated to the entire city of Las Vegas.”
The UFC.has been headquartered in Las Vegas since January 2001, following Station Casinos owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta III purchasing the promotion from Semaphore Entertainment Group for $2 million.