UFC 249 Staredowns Canceled

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Fight fans hoping to catch the staredowns from the UFC 249 weigh ins on Friday can expect to be disappointed, as the promotion has nixed the face offs to promote social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

That’s one of several measures UFC was forced to implement in an attempt to make its safe return to action tomorrow night (Sat., May 9, 2020) on ESPN+ from inside VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.

Insider.com compiled a list of current safety measures:

1. It will be behind-closed-doors: There will be no fans at the weigh-in or the arena
2. The weigh-in will be timed so athletes and teams can be kept apart
3. Fighters and team-members have individual workout rooms at a hotel
4. Room service will be 24-hour and left by an attendee’s front door
5. Individual workout mats for athletes and trainers will be sanitized
6. Fighters have a personal sauna for weight-cutting
7. Regular medical screenings which include temperature checks and questions about potential symptoms
8. Broadcast team members will be sat on different tables
9. Post-fight interviews will not be permitted in the UFC Octagon. The winning athlete will instead be guided to an isolated location and interviewed remotely
10. Headsets will be sanitized
11. UFC crew will wear personal protective equipment including N95 masks and gloves
12. Everyone Octagonside including the referee will wear a mask. The referee may also wear eye protection
13. The production crew is reduced from 130 members to approximately 80
14. The crew will work in mobile units, separated by plastic partitions
15. Social distancing will be practiced by everyone in the arena outside of the Octagon
16. Fewer than 20 UFC staff and media will be permitted in the arena at any one time
17. Officials could disinfect the cage between each and every fight

Watch this awful video of what the coronavirus swab test looks like.

UFC 249 features the interim lightweight title fight between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje, while Khabib Nurmagomedov watches from lockdown in Dagestan. Similarly, top bantamweight contender Jose Aldo will remain on the Brazilian bench as Dominick Cruz steps in on short notice to battle UFC 249 co-headliner Henry Cejudo for the 135-pound belt, currently in possession of “Triple C.”

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 249 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+/Fight Pass “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN+/ESPN at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 249: “Ferguson vs. Gaethje” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.