UFC president Dana White is pushing forward with his schedule of planned events despite the coronavirus pandemic. The UFC boss has taken some heat for his decision to move forward with the schedule, but he is standing firmly behind his decision.
During a recent interview, White explained why he was adamant about making UFC 249 happen on time and his desire to hold weekly events.
“I’m ready to get back,” White told ESPN. “I think a lot of other people are ready to get back. First of all, everybody’s afraid to be first. Realistically the only guy right now who isn’t afraid is me and Vince McMahon. Vince McMahon hasn’t skipped a beat. What he did was he found solutions. He found ways, get rid of the crowd, and I’m sure he’s doing everything in his power, too, to make sure his guys are safe. Everybody else is afraid to be first.”
The UFC boss has even gone as far to say he is closing in on a deal to secure a private island that could be home to future events including international fighters who are unable to fly to the United States because of the pandemic.
White further explained his decision by saying that people need entertainment while being stranded at home to save their sanity.
“Right now, we need leadership,” White said. “We need people that are going to go out and find solutions. Hiding in your house is not an answer. I get we have to do it. We followed everything that the CDC has said, but at what point do you start to get back to normal?
“You keep people in their houses for too long with no entertainment, people are going to start losing their minds. We need to start figuring out solutions. That’s what we’re doing. We’re going to do this and keep everybody safe and we’re going to pull this thing off. We’re going to make it happen.”
And White is definitely doing his part.
The UFC will resume business as usual beginning on Saturday, April 18 with UFC 249. The event is headlined by a bout between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight championship. An event location has not officially been announced, but it is rumored to be taking place at Tachi Palace in California.
