Dana White caught a lot of heat when he decided to move forward during the pandemic but when looking at the precautions taken, and low numbers for positive COVID 19 cases it seems like the way to go. Other organizations and sports that followed suit make it seem like the 30-page document he often refers to has had some influence in sports that have been able to function so far.
At the post-fight press conference after the UFC return to the Apex in Las Vegas, White was asked about his thoughts on how well the UFC has done in comparison to major league baseball which seems in jeopardy, White said, “I knew we would from day one. I knew that we would be able to do this, I knew that we would spend the money and get the right people involved.”
White added, “There’s a lot of mistakes that these other leagues have made and that they could do it right if they wanted to.” One of the mistakes it seems would be not making what is being called “a bubble”, a closed-off area for athletes, events staff with constant testing, and no fans. White has mentioned how expensive it is to take those steps, but it seems to be paying off for the UFC.
“You have to be in the bubble. It’s impossible to pull this thing off without a bubble. You have to do it.”
-UFC President Dana White
Boxing, Bellator MMA, and many other regional promotions are following the same precautions and it seems to be working. “You have to be in the bubble,” White said of how to hold events during the pandemic, “It’s impossible to pull this thing off without a bubble. You have to do it.”
The UFC is using the Apex as their bubble for any events going on in the United States for the foreseeable future until things change.
Do you think this is the new normal for sports?
