The idea of hosting a UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) event in Azerbaijan for the first time has come under question.

According to Offsideplus.az, the reason lies in the fact that no official procedures have yet been carried out regarding the organization of the event.

LET’S ANALYZE THE TIMELINE

The first news of UFC awarding Baku the rights to host an event broke overnight between March 20 and 21. On a festive holiday evening, MMA fans in Azerbaijan could hardly believe their eyes. It felt like a gift from the UFC: Fight Night 259, June 21, Baku Crystal Hall.

Soon after, the Baku event was added to the UFC’s official calendar. A Wikipedia page was created for the tournament, and reports surfaced identifying three of the fighters who were expected to compete in the octagon on June 21.

However, things took a strange turn. Information about Fight Night 259 quietly disappeared from the official UFC calendar. While details for events in July and even September remain listed on the UFC’s website, the June 21 date has vanished.

So, what’s really going on? Will the event be held in Baku or not? Will Azerbaijani fans be able to see top local fighters like Rafael Fiziev and Nazim Sadykhov compete on home soil?

WHAT DOES THE MINISTRY SAY?

According to Azerbaijani law, any international sports organization wishing to hold an event in the country must first submit a formal request to the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Has the UFC submitted such a request regarding Fight Night 259?

Offsideplus.az reached out to Qabil Mehdiyev, Head of the Public Relations Department at the Ministry. His response neither confirmed nor denied the reports.

NO CONFIRMATION FROM THE FEDERATION EITHER

A similar response was given by Azad Asgarov, President of the Azerbaijani Federation of MMA, Pankration, and Grappling. He stated that no official request had been received from the UFC:

"Believe me, I’ve received countless calls and messages asking about the UFC event. But the first step must be an official request to the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Only after their approval can an event like this be organized in Baku. Our federation has not received any direct communication from the UFC."

So… uncertainty continues to linger.

All eyes are now on UFC President Dana White. He’s the one who holds all the answers.