UFC fighters in curious position as promotion continues events amid coronavirus crisis

Many have questioned the UFC’s decision to continue staging events in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic when the rest of the sports world has come to a halt. Even by taking precautions such as putting the fights behind close doors, or relocating events entirely, the tactics of MMA’s leading promotion goes against the grain.

Because of that, the UFC has found itself in a controversial light.

Despite company president Dana White citing approval from President Donald Trump, and making assurances the highest order of medical protection would be put in place to protect the athletes, the fighters still expose themselves to some level of risk.

The magnitude of the coronavirus threat continues to evolve daily, but as it currently stands, the majority of the fighters appear willing to roll the dice. UFC women’s flyweight Ashlee Evans-Smith, who is scheduled to fight Molly McCann at UFC on ESPN+ 29 on March 21 in London, offered a rather jarring explanation of her stance to ESPN.

The inherent risks that come with Evans-Smith, other fighters, cornerman, staff and more traveling overseas are obvious to anyone educated on the ongoing global issue. And it’s particularly dangerous for the athletes, who already have depleted immune systems due to cutting weight.

But by all appearances, it’s not a situation anyone is being forced into. UFC officials have, according to sources, given fighters an opt-out option for upcoming bouts, while others are clamoring to fill in as replacements. What’s unknown is whether withdrawing would mean forfeiting some, or all of the contracted pay, which is, of course, a huge factor.

The financial burden of missing a single expected payday can be a crushing blow to a fighter, and UFC welterweight Anthony Rocco Martin went to Twitter and offered a reminder to the realities fighters face during the ongoing crisis.

Bellator president Scott Coker paid all scheduled Bellator 241 competitors after postponing Friday’s event, and the UFC would be fit to follow suit should athletes feel uncomfortable competing or an event be called off entirely.

So far, though, the promotion hasn’t been forced to that decision point. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported on Friday that he hadn’t spoken to a single fighter from an upcoming event who hoped the UFC would pull the plug on events. That includes Kevin Lee, who headlines Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 28 event in Brasilia, Brazil, and Francis Ngannou, who headlines UFC on ESPN 8 on March 28 in Las Vegas (it was moved from Columbus).

There is a valid argument that fighters are not exactly in the business of self-preservation, so it should come as no surprise they are willing to put themselves in hazardous situations, be it in the octagon or in a setting where exposure to coronavirus could be possible. The responsibility then falls to the people around them to intervene and make the level-headed choices.

Two of the top managers in the sport, Malki Kawa of First Round Management, Jason House of Iridium Sports Agency and Ali Abdelaziz of Dominance MMA, side with the UFC’s decision-making, though, and agree “the show must go on.”

For now, the show will go on. UFC on ESPN+ 28, headlined by Lee vs. Charles Oliveira, is current scheduled to go on behind closed doors at Ginasio Nilson Nelson. The card airs on ESPN.