Dana White has received criticism for his handling of UFC events during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The UFC’s president allowed UFC Brasilia to go on as scheduled (albeit, without any fans) less than two weeks ago. White also told Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole in a lengthy interview that UFC 249, which was originally scheduled to take place in Brooklyn, has a new location and is still expected to take place on April 18.
White did not share the location of the card, which is scheduled to be headlined by the lightweight championship fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson, and also wouldn’t comment on whether athletes participating in the event would be tested for COVID-19.
“The less the media knows the better,” White said. “Let me just put it to you this way: A lot of this hysteria has been driven by the media. The less the media knows, the better off it is.”
White did praise Nevada governor Steve Sisolak’s lockdown orders, but then went on and shared some concerning takes on the pandemic.
“How long are we going to stay in our houses and hide? If the Coronavirus is what’s going to get me, then so be it. It is what it is. Heart disease, car accidents, cancer…the list goes on and on of all these things that kill people every year. One thing is guaranteed. We’re all going to die of something.”
White said he was quarantined in his house, but was adamant that he doesn’t plan on staying in shelter for long.
“Since when do Americans run and hide in their freakin’ houses instead of taking this thing head on and finding solutions … I don’t think I’m a high risk guy for this thing. Maybe I’m wrong. And if I’m wrong, then the coronavirus is going to get me. It is what it is, there is nothing you can do about it.”
