The Coronavirus or COVID-19 is in the midst changing the world in general and specifically the sports world. The stock markets are all over the place, schools are closing, and toilet paper is all of a sudden hard to find. When it comes to sports most of the sports world decided to take a safe, cautious, approach to the potential spread of the virus. That approach was to either outright cancel a major event such as the NCAA Basketball tournament or postpone the NBA, NHL, and MLB seasons until further notice. The UFC however has decided to proceed with their upcoming fight cards starting with UFC Fight Night Brasilia tomorrow night on ESPN with safety changes in mind. UFC President Dana White recently addressed their future plans with the Coronavirus in mind on the UFC YouTube channel:
“We’ve been closely monitoring the situation with the Coronavirus and it’s potential impact on the health and safety of UFC athletes, staff, and fans around the world. We’re moving forward with all our UFC live events. But, we’re gonna adapt to these unprecedented circumstances. Some of the events will be moved from their original host city to the UFC Apex here in Las Vegas. And, unfortunately, fans may not be allowed to attend the events. You know I hate this but the decision has been made in the best interest with everyone involved with our events including fans, athletes, staff, and media partners.”
The Coronavirus and the sports world is a fluid situation and can change at a moments notice. As of now it’s unknown if and when the NBA and NHL will resume their seasons. It’s also unknown when the MLB season will even start. The UFC can easily change their minds at any point and postpone their fight cards until further notice. But kudos to them for trying to restore some normalcy to their fighters and fans and for not automatically following in the footsteps of the other major sports leagues. It’s a gamble and one that could potentially blow up in their face. If there’s one man however who’s willing to take that type of risk, it’s UFC President Dana White.
Anthony Sotelo for MMAInformed
