Dana White reacts to surge in COVID-19 fight cancellations

UFC President Dana White has commented on the recent spike of fight cancellations due to athletes and their cornermen testing positive for COVID-19.

While the pandemic has gripped the world for close to a year now, there’s recently been an increased number of cancelled fights due to the virus. White commented on the issue at the post-fight press conference for last weekend’s UFC Vegas 16 card, which was particularly hard-hit by the COVID-related fight cancellations.

He sees the trend of increasing cases across the United States as a big part of the problem.

“Who knows?” White said (via MMA Fighting). “I have no idea; the COVID thing is more rampant now. Another friend that I talked to today, who lives on an island in Alaska, somewhere where they have a population of 4,000 people, over 40 people have COVID there now, and it’s like a big, huge deal.

“This stuff is definitely spreading,” White added. “When we were first going through this stuff, I didn’t know anybody that had it, and then, you know, one employee came up with it and got through it quick. But personally, somebody that I was friends with hadn’t had it yet, and now everyone’s got it, you know what I mean?

“People show up with it, or I think what happened this time, somebody had had contact with somebody else and was training their fighter and then gave it to them,” White said. “I don’t know exactly what the deal was, but – yeah, I don’t know.”

While White acknowledges the rampant spread of COVID-19, he’s adamant that he wouldn’t change anything with respect to his handling of the UFC throughout the pandemic.

“I don’t know if there’s anything that I would do differently at the beginning of 2020, knowing what I know now,” White said. “We got through it pretty well. We did a good job. I would have reinforced myself, don’t be afraid to fight through this thing and go and do not listen to the media, whatever you do. Do not listen to the media.”