The Takedown | UFC 249 gives first glimpse into post-coronavirus sporting world landscape
- Sporting leagues around the world should take notes, as the YouTube series provides an intriguing look into how Covid-19 will be handled
- Everything from individual saunas and quarantine haircuts, the UFC’s scheduled May 9 event in Florida has become a guinea pig many are watching closely
Within a few seconds of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first YouTube episode previewing UFC 249, set to take place on Saturday, May 9 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, it’s clear things are different and we have entered a brave new world.
Alex Baez, the UFC’s Octagon & Warehouse manager, talks about the extra logistics and precautionary steps being taken for the next three UFC events, which will all take place in Jacksonville, none of them will be in front of spectators.
“We’re taking two trucks on this one,” Baez says as he loads cargo into the back of a vehicle while wearing a face mask adorned with the UFC’s logo. “Less contact with people: one to the arena, and one to the hotel.”
The coronavirus measures do not stop there. Every fighter on the UFC card, which is headlined by a tilt between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title, gets their own individual workout space. This includes 26 individual saunas, instead of the normal four, to accommodate social distancing. Testing kits, hotel screenings, temperature checks – it’s clear to see the UFC is taking Covid-19 seriously.
Francis Ngannou, the No 2 heavyweight contender, set to take on Jairzinho Rozenstruik, also shows how the fighters have had to adapt to what has been a months-long pause in training and preparation as they have prepared for multiple cancelled fights.