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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – UFC President Dana White wanted a big fight letter weeks ago. He was confident that his team could carry it out either on tribal land, on a private island, or in any of the 10 states offering to host it.
A worker cleans areas of the octagon between battles at a UFC 249 mixed martial arts event on Saturday, May 9, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida (AP Photo / John Raoux)
Coronavirus tests. Fan-free arena. Social distancing. Self-isolation. White looked at all those unprecedented details that seemed too complex and too risky for some strangers as mere additional challenges.
“I knew we could do this,” he said after UFC 249 on Saturday night. “I knew we could solve it. Even with all the obstacles we had at the beginning, this has been fun. It was a challenge and it was fun.
“I know it sounds a little insane to say that I had fun going through this. It was a challenge and I enjoyed the whole game if you want.”
White and UFC look like big winners after their exciting show at the Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, an event that could serve as a model for other sports leagues across the country and the world as they begin to resume during a global pandemic. .
The NFL, NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball, and NASCAR all had to consider how the UFC approached and managed the first major human-centered sporting event in the US. USA Since the new coronavirus closed much of the country about two months ago.
The UFC created a 25-page document to address health and safety protocols, which included disinfecting the octagon between battles and requiring proofs and masks for almost all attendees.
The spotlight only intensified when one fighter, Jacaré Souza, and two of his cornerbacks tested positive for COVID-19 a day before the stacked card.
Souza was pulled from the fight and removed from the hotel where hundreds of UFC employees will be staying this week.
White said the UFC medical team continues to provide assistance and is helping with necessary treatment.
The UFC has two more fight nights scheduled this week in Jacksonville, starting Wednesday, and plans to administer more than 1,000 more coronavirus tests for everyone scheduled to participate.
“However, it was handled this week, this was our first week,” White said. “It will only get better. And we can share what we learned here by doing three events with other sports leagues who contact us and ask.
“You can learn a lot from what we are doing here. Not just for professional sports, but to send people back to work and many other things in life.”
White said he never considered postponing UFC 249 after Souza’s positive test and obtained the support of the Florida Athletic Commission, the governor and local authorities.
The show continued and, by most accounts, received rave reviews.
Justin Gaethje stunned Tony Ferguson in the main event, earning a TKO in a light fight that prepared the winner to fight incumbent Khabib Nurmagomedov next. Henry Cejudo, with blood gushing from his head and dripping down his chest, defended his bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz and then announced his retirement.
Heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou hit his fourth consecutive opponent, this one in 20 seconds. Former NFL defensive end Greg Hardy won for the sixth time in eight fights. And former welterweight champion and fan favorite Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone lost on the card, his fourth straight loss.
The only negative was the empty arena, where the bumps, kicks, grunts, footsteps, trash chats, corner coaching and TV commentary echoed off metal beams and empty seats.
“It was weird,” White admitted.
“There are so many things you love about live sports, whether you’re at home, in a bar, or there live. One of the big key components to live sports is the group of people you’re with and the energy you get when cool things happen.
“Tonight was an incredible event, but it was definitely missing tonight, these moments. … It’s all part of what makes this so cool. ”
Finding a way to recreate those lost moments could be the next challenge, a white one would surely appreciate it as long as the show continues.
“We are still solving all this,” he said. “This was the first. It was a success. Wednesday will be better. Saturday will be better than that.”
GSG
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