JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – While the sporting world’s eyes were squarely centered on this past weekend’s UFC 249 and whether the promotion could safely pull off the pay-per-view, company executives insist putting the card behind does not mean anything has changed in terms of focus.
“We spent four or five weeks putting together the plan,” UFC COO Lawrence Epstein told MMA Junkie. “We, I thought, executed on it incredibly well. Like anything in life, nothing is perfect, and there is always room for improvement, so that’s what we’ve been doing literally since that event ended – just analyzing everything we did, trying to figure out what the opportunities are to get tighter and get better, and making sure that people are committed.
“We’ve got three events here. We need to go 3-0. Going 2-1 is not going to cut it. We’ve got to go 3-0 here in Jacksonville and make sure all of these events are perfect.”
The UFC is currently in the middle of a run of three live events over an eight-day stretch, all taking place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. The stretch kicked off with this past Saturday’s UFC 249.
According to Epstein, nearly 400 people were tested for COVID-19 in relation to UFC 249, with the company putting on its first live event since the ongoing coronavirus pandemic began to change every aspect of life around the globe. Among those tests issued, three men tested positive – former Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo Souza and two of his cornermen. While all three were asymptomatic, mandatory screening identified the positive results, and Souza was ultimately pulled from a planned matchup with Uriah Hall.
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Epstein said the results certainly sent UFC staff into action, but he ultimately echoed the sentiments of UFC president Dana White, who said the incident simply proved that “the system worked.”
“There’s no doubt it was a serious situation, and there was concern at multiple levels,” Epstein said. “First of all, we want to make sure we get him out of the ecosystem, which we did. Second of all, we’re concerned about him. We want to make sure that he’s properly taken care of and that he’s going to get whatever medical attention that he may need or his corner guys may need.
“We obviously aren’t taking the situation lightly, but as Dana said at the press conference, I feel like things went the right way. The most important thing is we did not have a situation where an athlete competed while potentially being infected. As soon as we had the positive test, he was removed from the ecosystem, and we went from there.”
Souza informed UFC personnel last Wednesday that he had been in contact with a family member who may have been infected with COVID-19, but it was Friday before he was officially pulled from the card. While he was largely isolated from other people during that stretch, he did take part in Friday’s ceremonial faceoffs, where he appeared wearing gloves and a mask.
While it’s been suggested that the company should have pulled Souza from the event at the first mention of his possible exposure, Epstein believes the company’s actions were appropriate.
“At the end of the day, I think we handled this thing exactly the way we needed to,” Epstein said. “Once we had a positive test, he was taken out of the ecosystem. That’s really the most important thing.”
Another potential trouble spot for the promotion during the week may have been White, himself. During the UFC 249 faceoffs, White behaved as he traditionally does during the ceremony, fist-bumping and hugging competitors ahead of their staredowns. Epstein said he wasn’t aware of any planned behavioral changes for White over the coming week but did mention that the UFC president has tested multiple times for a clean bill of health.
“Dana may be the most tested man in America right now,” Epstein said. “He’s certainly taken a lot of tests, and they’ve all come back clean. At the end of the day, that’s absolutely a question for Dana, but all I can say is the guy’s been tested multiple times, and he’s in a good position.”
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In the meantime, a new wave of athletes has come to Florida for Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN+ 29, with more on the way for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8. Some UFC staff have remained in place for the entire stretch, while others have been replaced by reinforcements arriving from Las Vegas.
All continue to receive training and reminders on the company’s safety protocol, which include mandatory medical screening, the need for social distancing, and the use of a mask while in public, as well as following the Center for Disease’s Control’s recommended practices.
Epstein said the organization did not make major changes to its protocol following UFC 249 but again echoed White’s sentiment that the organization is committed to learn along the way and improve after every event.
“There’s a lot of small things that we’re literally tightening up,” Epstein said. “There’s nothing earth-shattering that we’re doing different. We’re just tightening things up, making sure staff is vigilant – making sure staff is completely compliant and understands everything that they’re supposed to be doing. On the communication front, continuing to communicate to athletes about their responsibility in this situation. But no, there’s nothing earth-shattering; it’s just tightening and reinforcing and trying to get more efficient and sharper in the way we do this.”
Of course, the UFC isn’t the only sport looking to get back to live events while the pandemic continues to spread around the world. Other major sporting organizations across the globe are currently investigating the best way to safely operate in an incredibly challenging environment. Epstein said the UFC is happy to share its growing knowledge base with anyone interested, including the athletic commissions across the U.S. who regulate combat sports.
“We’re sharing this plan with a lot of athletic commissions, other sports teams and leagues and organizations,” Epstein said. “I know we’re speaking to a lot of them about our experiences throughout this week, and we want to be a good partner to our overall sports industry and help anybody we can and share all the learnings throughout this process.”
UFC officials will certainly remain under a microscope for the foreseeable future. While it seems this past weekend’s UFC 249 may have been a financial success for the company, strengthened by a public starving for entertainment options, any reports of widespread COVID-19 infections linked to the company’s efforts could clearly prove problematic for the UFC’s plans moving forward.
As he previously told MMA Junkie, Epstein said the organization remains committed to keeping everyone involved with the events safe, regardless of any costs and efforts.
“We’re working incredibly hard to make sure this week’s events are as safe as they possibly can be, and we were really pleased with No. 1, but we’ve got two more to go,” Epstein said. “Our focus is on the event on the 13th and the event on the 16th, and they’ve got to be perfect.”
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