By Alan Snel and Cassandra Cousineau of LVSportsBiz.com
Dana White talked for weeks about how he’s in the fight business and pandemic or no pandemic he’s going to find a home for his UFC 249 fight show.
He found just the place — Florida, where life is just a little different compared to the rest of the country. So, Las Vegas Man White transformed into #FloridaMan White this week, staging the first major sports event in the U.S. during a virus pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 78,000 Americans.
UFC 249 was a fight event stripped of the promotion’s typical fight night spectacle of loud videos, screaming fans and outrageous, over-the-top fighter entries. Instead of the shiny veneer of entertainment was the unvarnished sounds of fists striking flesh, UFC commentators’ voices serving as the main soundtrack and a limited number of staffers and judges outside the Octagon. Some wore masks. Some didn’t.
Outside the Octagon, many but not all personnel donned protective masks. Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer wore a mask cageside and removed it to read introductions and results while inside the cage.
White was not seen on TV or social media wearing a mask — much like his pal, President Donald Trump. White’s brash, in-your-face high-risk, high-reward approach to staging fight shows drew a singular spotlight as Trump counted on White to herald the re-start of major sports in the U.S.
“We need sports,” Trump said. “We need our sports back.”
The hunger of UFC and MMA fans to consume live Octagon action was realized by a blockbuster match-up of Tony Ferguson and Juston Gaethje at an arena in Jacksonville, where Florida state athletic officials, the mayor and the arena welcomed White with open arms. If you have ever visited Jacksonville, you know the city is more Deep-South Georgia than multi-region Florida, which includes South Florida and Orlando. In other words, if White had to find a state and a city happy to accommodate UFC’s traveling fight show spectacle, he found it at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. MMA reporter Helen Yee posted this on Twitter:
Gaethje wore down Ferguson with a TKO in the fifth round, giving the pay-per-view customers their money’s worth with a world-class performance over Ferguson, the now ex-interim lightweight champ. UFC fans can’t wait for a Gaethje vs undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov showdown.
It was a command performance by Gaethje, who pounded Ferguson’s jaw, leaving observers wondering whether Ferguson’s jaw was made out of vibranium.
But White was putting on more than just a stacked fight show — the first of three UFC events in eight days at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
With pro sports sidelined for two months under a coronavirus shutdown, White was putting on a sports event with other major league sports leagues watching both the action while monitoring the behind-the-scenes logistics of operating big-time sports at a time when COVID-19 is so easy to be transmitted from human to human. UFC had the 1,200 tests, the social distancing and the reduced staff and media production workers. Here’s Ferguson getting tested.
But on the day before UFC 249, why did White stage a face-off between fighters, a ceremonial act that could risk the spread of COVID-19? A fighter from Florida, middleweight Jacare Souza, and two of his trainers, were known to be exposed to the virus and subsequently tested positive. It took 48 hours for those results to come back from the testing lab.
According to a UFC statement, Souza and his team left the host hotel to self-isolate as much as possible after their positive COVID-19 tests were revealed. All three men were also found to be asymptomatic. But there was White — without a mask — with Souza at a promotional face-off for his bout against Uriah Hall.
UFC submitted the same 25-page document outlining fight show logistics to Nevada state athletic officials as it did to the state of Florida because White hopes to stage a UFC event May 23 in Las Vegas. The face-off ceremonial stuff? Is it necessary? No.
But face-offs are part of the show.
And White is the best pitchman in pro sports. Every handshake, staredown and presentation of fighters is part of how he markets a UFC event.
And scrubbing that would be a concession for a UFC promoter who doesn’t concede any part of an UFC event.
UFC put on the first U.S. live sporting event since the COVID-19 shutdown.
ESPN, UFC’s broadcast partner, put forward its most robust MMA package in the network’s history, running well-produced shows on Ferguson and Gaethje leading up to the prelims that were broadcast by ESPN.
Joining the 12-fight card (down to 11 after Souza and his opponent, Hall, were removed) were UFC’s most reliable team players like Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and the headliners, Ferguson and Gaethje.
Henry Cejudo vs Dominick Cruz was another big headliner for UFC, with bantamweight champ Cejudo winning by TKO in the co-main event. He then announced he’s retiring.
Here’s a look at the night’s results.
UFC 249 Results
Prelims
Ryan Spann def. Sam Alvey via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Bryce Mitchell def. Charles Rosa via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-24)
Vicente Luque def. Niko Price via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 3
Aleksei Oleinik def. Fabricio Werdum via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Anthony Pettis def. Donald Cerrone via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Pay Per View
Greg Hardy def. Yorgan De Castro via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Calvin Kattar def. Jeremy Stephens via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 2:42
Francis Ngannou def. Jairzinho Rozenstruik via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:20
Henry Cejudo (c) def. Dominick Cruz via second-round TKO (punches)
Justin Gaethje def Tony Ferguson via fifth round TKO -Interim lightweight title
The UFC said Saturday that former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s ‘Modern Wing’ as a member of the class of 2020.
UFC is selling masks with its logos. All profits from all sales will benefit the Direct Relief organization.
Nevada’s COVID-19 numbers for Saturday:
Follow LVSportsBiz.com on Twitter and Instagram. Like LVSportsBiz.com on Facebook.