The coronavirus pandemic has been wreaking havoc throughout the world and the UFC is one of the MMA promotions affected by the pandemic.
UFC President Dana White says that even before the coronavirus, one thing the UFC did was go overboard when it comes to fighter health.
“Think about this … in the 20-year history that I’ve been involved (with the UFC) and before me, there’s never been a death or serious injury,” White said on Frank Warren’s Heavyweight podcast (via Damon Martin of MMA Fighting). “That’s crazy. Cheerleading can’t say that. We go completely overboard with health and safety even before the coronavirus. The health and safety part is nothing new to us. It’s now just trying to be able to maneuver as the world continues to freak out and lose their mind over this coronavirus stuff. All my fighters want to fight. My staff wants to work. Everybody who’s involved in what I’m doing is absolutely willing and able to do this.”
White has been facing a lot of criticism surrounding his decision to attempt to run next month’s UFC 249 card, despite the coronavirus raging on.
One thing the UFC President has done is to reach out to all of the UFC’s employees to make sure they are OK during the pandemic.
“The thing is with my fighters, when they’re with me, they’re getting the best medical attention they could possibly get,” he said. “Better if they were home alone by themselves or whatever their situation is. I’ve reached out to everybody, not just my employees that work for me, but my fighters, too — if them or a loved one becomes ill and needs me, I’m here.”
No UFC fighters have tested positive for the coronavirus at this time, but some fighters like Randa Markos and John Makdessi have self-quarantined after UFC Fight Night Brasilia.
