Dana White praises UFC fighters for performances during pandemic: “They’re special athletes”

UFC president Dana White praised the promotion’s fighters collectively for their incredible performances during the COVID-19 era.

The UFC was forced to take a coronavirus-induced layoff from March to May, but since the Octagon has returned, the fighters have been putting on incredible fights for the fans. Even though fans haven’t actually been inside the venues, the UFC show has gone on without a hitch as the fighters have stepped up with some very memorable fights.

Speaking to reporters after a fantastic main event fight between Michelle Waterson and Angela Hill at Saturday’s UFC Vegas 10, White was asked about what he has seen from the fighters since the COVID-19 era began, and the UFC president praised his team.

“I’ll tell you, this is my take on it, and I talk about this with the fighters. I’ve never been more proud to be part of this sport than I am right now. When COVID hit, I knew we could do it, I knew we could do it safely. I knew I would spend the money and figure out how to do this thing the right way. And I was so confident that we would go and we would be first because I knew my team would because the people at work at the UFC, we have the best group of people ever. I mean most of the people that work here, I wouldn’t say that everyone is, but most of them are just as passionate about this as I am,” White said.

The UFC president continued to bestow praise upon the promotion’s athletes.

“Then the other part of the equation is the fighters. I knew what it takes to do what these guys (do) — when you look at ‘The Karate Hottie’ and Angela Hill and what they did tonight — you can think whatever the f*ck you want to think, you and you, all the people watching on camera, you think you could do what they did tonight. You can’t. You can’t do what those two women did tonight. There’s something inside of them, and not just them but all the fighters, that makes them different than any other human being on earth. There are very few people that can do what they do. And they’re special athletes, and more special than the people who play with balls and sticks or whatever the hell it is they play with,” White said. “I knew they would go. I know fighters, I know how they’re built and how they’re wired, and I knew they would go (fight).”

Do you agree with what Dana White said about the fighters?