Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza of Brazil celebrates after defeating Derek Brunson in their middleweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Spectrum Center on January 27, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
UFC 249 has been cancelled in the recent past before being rescheduled
Dana White has some problems on his hand after Ronald Jacare Souza tested positive for the coronavirus just after the weigh-ins for UFC 249.
The former Strikeforce star was to face off against Uriah Hall but the match was cancelled as expected.
There were more concerns for all those involved at the weigh-in too. Ariel Helwani tweeted that two members of Souza’s entourage also tested positive for the virus.
The UFC did a lot of work to ensure that the fighters were safe for as long as possible. Helwani had also tweeted that the scales were being cleaned regularly during the weigh-in.
The concerning aspect of all this was seen at the start. Jacare was the only UFC fighter to come out wearing gloves and a mask during the weigh-in, and he might have thought he had a bug or flu.
Dominick Cruz had also spoke about the steps the UFC had taken to ensure the safety of all. However, there are questions being asked if UFC 249 will be cancelled.
The fight seems to be cursed as it is. It was to take place in April but was shifted to this later date after pressure from ESPN and Disney.
Khabib Nurmagomedov was to fight Tony Ferguson, but the Russian is stuck in his country and Ferguson takes on Justin Gaethje.
ESPN and Disney pulled the plug on the previous event, but there was no stopping Dana White from sharing a new date and a card for UFC 249.
There is a risk that other stars could have contracted the virus, but UFC 249 doesn’t seem set to be cancelled.
Brett Okamoto, another MMA reporter, got a chance to speak to White after Souza’s result. The UFC president shared some numbers of how many people were tested and it was expected that someone could test positive.
However, White is adamant that UFC 249 will go ahead. The president also said that the next two events are also to take place without any change in dates.
White is known to take some gambles, and this is possibly the biggest one of his UFC tenure. It will be interesting to see how the event goes, especially with so many eyes already on it.
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