Friday’s Cage Warriors 113 event was going to go forward come hell or high water, according to company CEO Graham Boylan.
Despite every other noteworthy MMA promotion closing up shop during the coronavirus pandemic (although the UFC tried its hardest to proceed), Cage Warriors opted to stage the event, fighting through all type of obstacles along the way.
One of those obstacles included shifting the entire event from London to Manchester, England, on less than a week’s notice. The event ultimately took place from BEC Arena and streamed on UFC Fight Pass.
During the broadcast, Boylan explained why simply postponing the show like the overwhelming majority of global sporting events was a non-option in his eyes.
“It was a very simple decision for us to make,” Boylan said. “We asked everybody when everything started coming in around us, ‘What do you want to do?’ We asked the fighters, the coaches, the managers, the staff. Some of them came back and said, ‘We need this. We have to earn money. We don’t know how long we’re not going to be able to earn money for. We need the show to happen.’ Once I made my commitment to them, there was nothing stopping this show. The only thing stopping this show was a complete country shutdown.”
Although baseline precautions were taken to alleviate coronavirus concerns – such as banning a live audience and limiting the number of people in the venue – Boylan did not address the more important questions about this particular situation.
Those concerns include whether the fighters are being tested for COVID-19, concerns about anyone else in close proximity, and potential quarantines for post-fight to limit the spreading of the virus.
Cage Warriors CEO explains 'very simple decision' to host event amid coronavirus concerns
