In the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak, following news that Rudy Gobert had tested positive, all major sports elected to suspend, or delay the start of, their respective seasons. This includes the NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS, as well as the men's and women's NCAA Tournaments, and more.
One of the few sports that won't be suspending or cancelling their planned events is the UFC. According to UFC President Dana White, President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence advised him to move forward with their upcoming schedule.
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White tells ESPN that Trump and Pence advised him to "Be cautious, be careful, but live your life and stop panicking.”
“[The UFC] always go overboard with health and safety, and that’s what we’re going to do here,” White said (H/T Yahoo Sports). “I talked to the president and the vice president of the United States today about this. They’re taking this very serious. They’re saying ‘Be cautious, be careful, but live your life and stop panicking.’”
“Everybody is panicking, and instead of panicking, we’re actually getting out there and working with doctors and health officials and the government to figure out how we keep the sport safe and how we can continue to put on events.”
As a result, Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 170: Brasilia (airing on ESPN+) will go on, although there won't be any spectators allowed inside the venue. Additionally, White says other events could be moved from to the UFC APEX arena in Las Vegas.