Inside the ‘Fightsphere’: How Bellator MMA is running during the COVID-19 pandemic

Inside the ‘Fightsphere’: How Bellator MMA is running during the COVID-19 pandemic

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator is back but with a new plan implemented of how to proceed with events during the coronavirus pandemic.

The promotion returns Friday at Mohegan Sun with Bellator 242, its first event since March 13 when it halted operations hours before Bellator 241. The card is headlined by bantamweight contenders Ricky Bandejas and Sergio Pettis squaring off in a title eliminator.

Before Bandejas, Pettis, or any of the Bellator 242 participants enter the cage, they’ll have gone through the newly implemented Bellator testing protocols and fight week procedures, which includes swabs, screenings, quarantines, and social distancing.

This week, MMA Junkie had the opportunity to tour the “Fightsphere” premises with Bellator officials and walk through the procedures of fight week from arrival to fight night and departure.

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Fight week testing and screening

Upon arrival, fighters, production staff and other Bellator workers have been provided transportation from Hartford to Uncasville. Individuals are allowed to travel together unless a fighter flew with his cornermen, in which he is allowed to bring one of them with him or her. Otherwise, they must take separate vehicles.

Additionally, for this event, Bellator has provided fighters with travel, medical testing and food vouchers for three corner members – instead of the usual one. No managers, families or special exceptions can be made. Fighters are only allowed to bring their licensed corners with them. Last-minute corner changes are not permitted.

Upon arrival at Mohegan Sun Casino hotel, individuals check in with Bellator and have been ushered to their rooms. From there, event staff, fighters, and teams entered quarantine. A representative from Hartford Healthcare, which is conducting Bellator’s testing and overseeing the promotion’s safety procedures, meets them in their rooms and performs a throat swab.

Until test results came back, fighters and their teams were required to stay in their designated rooms (two rooms per team). Once their tests came back negative, fighters were allowed to leave their rooms. (For the record, I was tested and had my results approximately five hours later).

Mandatory daily temperature checks have been conducted daily from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. This is required of all event personnel.

During their stay, fighters, staff and media are not permitted to leave the Mohegan property. While the casino is open to the public, fighters, teams, and event personnel are not permitted to enter any of the restaurants, with the exception of picking up takeout. Those who violate the protocol will lose their ability to partake in Friday’s event and will be asked to leave the Bellator system.

Fighters were tested a second time Thursday prior to official weigh-ins. During the official weigh-ins, fighters will be the only ones allowed in the scale area. They will then go through a medical examination. Red and blue corners will not come in contact until the ceremonial weigh-ins after examinations. They will arrive at separate ends of the concourse, which are barricaded off from general areas.

Locker rooms

Each fighter will have his own individual locker room. The locker rooms are separated, with preliminary card fighters on the concourse. Main card fighters have more traditional, backstage locker rooms with one fighter per room.

Fighters are required to only have one corner in the room at a time, though the others are allowed to push back the curtain in the doorway to watch and give instructions in a still-private setting.

The locker rooms will be disinfected and cleaned thoroughly. In between events; the locker rooms will receive a deeper cleaning.

Floor plan

Mohegan Sun Arena serves as the Bellator offices, screening area and site of the fights. The concourse holds many of the “offices” with different Bellator workers and officials all set up at different socially distanced tables.

A temperature check is required for anyone entering or exiting the premises. Guard rails are set up, with one-way traffic walking patterns to ensure the directionals are followed. Social distancing stickers are scattered all over the floor.

On fight night, fighters will follow the on-floor arrows to their individual locker rooms. Once their fight is complete, fighters will exit the cage opposite the locker rooms. They will then exit the opposite end of the arena after post-fight medicals. When they arrive in their hotel rooms, their bags and gear from the locker rooms will be waiting.

Hotel

Fighters are staying at a hotel in the Mohegan Sun Casino – a couple minutes walking distance from the arena. Bellator has rented out specific floors of the hotel, in which only people working the event are allowed. Security has been placed on every floor to ensure only those who are supposed to be there are.

One-for-all approach

All Bellator, Mohegan Sun and commission officials – from Scott Coker and Mike Mazzulli down – have been educated about the rules and regulations. This was done in hopes that everyone can help enforce social distancing rules, PPE usage, and more. Some Bellator workers are also required to carry backpacks with sanitizing kits and PPE equipment, in case they are needed.

Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize

Hand sanitizer stations, PPE and social distancing instruction signs, disinfecting backpacks, and other protocol-encouraging measures have been taken. At any commonplace in the arena, a sanitizing station is visible.

(Note: Sanitization was noticeable throughout Mohegan Sun and the Mohegan Sun Arena. It almost seemed like there were more hand sanitizer stations than people. Cleaning crews were populous throughout.)

Bellator 242 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card simulcasts on Paramount Network and DAZN after prelims on MMA Junkie.