TopGame Management CEO Tyson Chartier details hectic days leading to Bellator 241 cancelation

Amongst the many MMA events shut down the second week of March due to coronavirus concerns, Bellator 241 went through a period of will it or won’t it be canceled before finally being called off the day it was canceled.

Along with fighters, promotional staff and fans that were at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., when it happened, TopGame Management’s Tyson Chartier was there to experience the situation as it unfolded.

“On March 11, I was driving down to Connecticut for Bellator 241 and someone texted me and said the NBA shut down their whole season, then when I got to the hotel in Connecticut, I turned on the news and saw everything was starting to shut down,” Chartier told MMAWeekly.com.

“The next day we were at weigh-ins, Bellator was like things are still going forward, and then all of a sudden it was not having an audience, then four hours before our call time the show was canceled. That’s when we realized there was going to be a ripple effect and that things are different.”

Managing a variety of fighters at all levels of the sport, for Chartier during the early days of the coronavirus lockdown as it is now, he maintains contact with his athletes and does his best to keep them informed and motivated to stay as ready as they can for when events begin happening again.

“I have a good relationship with all my fighters, so it was just reaching out to them and letting them know about things being cancelled and focusing on what we can control,” said Chartier. “(I tell them) train if you can, if not, stay safe with your family, and once we see the light of day at the end of the tunnel we’ll regroup and figure out what’s next.

“Right now, it’s hard to plan anything when we don’t know what’s happening. I just try to stay up on the news, see what’s going on, talk to some of my colleagues who are managers and see what they’re hearing.”

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Having been a fighter himself, Chartier knows what the life is like for these athletes, and as such he’s able to connect with their mindset and help them stay as focused as they can during the lockdown.

“I know what it’s like to cut weight. I know what it’s like to go through a camp, beat up, not knowing if you’re going to have a fight. I know what it’s like when your fight is canceled. I understand all that stuff,” Chartier said.

“Right now the motto is: let’s focus on what we can control. What we can control is where our fitness level is at when doors open back up. We can control how much cardio we are putting in. We can control how positive our outlook stays. So when things do open back up we can be ready much quicker.”

At the end of the day, it’s the fighters he works with that also helps keep Chartier motivated and mindful for the future during the current pandemic.

“At the end of the day, nobody’s at fault for this, so let’s make the best out of a really bad situation,” said Chartier. “I appreciate the fighters I work with. Pretty much 100-percent of them have been very understanding. It’s a privilege to be surrounded by such professional people. I’m excited for when this thing opens up and we can get back to work.”