In case you tuned out the news for a while on Fourth of July weekend — and honestly, even those of us who work in the business won’t blame you if you want to shut off your computer and get a break from 2020’s onslaught — here are a handful of news items that came out Friday:
- Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father, Abdulmanap, died due to complications related to COVID-19.
- MMA Junkie broke the news that one of the men scheduled to headline UFC 251, Gilbert Burns, was pulled from his fight with welterweight champion Kamaru Usman after he tested positive for COVID-19.
- The Marina Rodriguez-Carla Esparza bout scheduled for “Fight Island” on July 15 was scuttled when one of Rodriguez’s corners tested positive for COVID-19.
- The July 15 card took another hit when Anderson dos Santos tested positive for COVID-19, and his fight with Jack Shore was removed.
The last three items actually demonstrate the UFC is doing an excellent job with its fight-week related coronavirus safety protocols. Burns was tested in Las Vegas, along with the rest of the card, UFC staff, basically all involved with travel to Abu Dhabi. By flagging a positive test, Burns was kept off the charter plane headed to the Middle East, which meant he wouldn’t expose others to the virus during a seriously long flight.
That’s the good news.
The bad news is the sheer volume of COVID-related news items shows MMA won’t be spared from the viral resurgence regardless how many precautions are taken.
Which brings us to one other news item, one we can no longer ignore: If the UFC’s strict testing protocols are the equivalent of Gallant in the classic “Highlights for Children” comic strip, then [autotag]Brendan Schaub[/autotag] is Goofus.
The former UFC heavyweight competitor has a high-profile platform with his podcast, “The Fighter and the Kid,” and has used it repeatedly to spout nonsense about coronavirus. With COVID-19 escalating (once again) in the United States at a time when the rest of the world seems to be getting a grip on things, we’re not going to link and amplify Schaub’s messages, but you can Google them yourself if you’re interested.
But there’s a new wrinkle to this: Schaub and co-host Bryan Callen recently did a stand-up comedy gig in Texas, which is losing control of the pandemic. Schaub ended up testing positive. Callen has experienced symptoms and got tested. We sincerely wish them a return to full health as soon as possible.
But even though Schaub contracted COVID-19, he still doesn’t get it. Schaub posted-then-deleted a picture of himself taking an outdoor bike ride while he still has the virus, while he’s contagious, while he should be quarantined. While there’s no location tag on the post, Schaub lives in the Los Angeles area, where California is under a statewide mandate that people must wear face coverings in the state, and Schaub was not wearing one in the photo.
It’s good Schaub is feeling better. The fact that he’s recovering is also good. But it’s not proof COVID-19 isn’t serious. Every person who came in contact with Schaub and Callen in a tightly packed club could get the virus, and they could pass it to someone in a high-risk zone.
(Want proof how this works? Here’s a story about how an 88-year old Texas grandmother ended up with the worst of a family-wide outbreak.)
The response from the far too loud, ignorant contingent in the MMA community is as tiresome as it is predictable: Bro, this is no big deal, it’s just the flu, you’re a cuck if you don’t think this is a conspiracy, I learned on YouTube the Chinese created this in a lab and also the world is flat, blah blah blah …
Here’s a question for that crowd: Would you say any of this to Khabib’s face?
But don’t take this from me, take it from comedian Bill Burr, who no one has ever accused of being politically correct.
This really shouldn’t be that tough. Wear a face covering in public. Keep six feet distance from people you don’t know. Outdoor activity is way safer than indoor, unless you’ve tested positive, in which case you should be quarantined at home.
The sooner we follow all of this, the sooner it will be safe to go see Brendan Schaub and Bryan Callen at the Chuckle Hut again. In the meantime, when in doubt about COVID-19, here’s a rule of thumb: Whatever Schaub is doing, do the opposite.
The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.