appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Patrick Blennerhassett

Turns out UFC president Dana White’s biggest challenge during this global pandemic has nothing to do with proper Covid-19 testing, social distancing and containing outbreaks at his fights.
White could really use some help when it comes to getting his fighters off their bloody mobile devices.
“Everybody’s in quarantine, they can’t go to the gym, they can’t go to restaurants, they can’t go to movies, they can’t hang out with their friends so they sit on these stupid things all day,” said White, holding up his phone during an interview with TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter last week.
White’s two biggest fighters – Jon Jones and Conor McGregor – are clearly getting cabin fever stuck at home unable to go about their normal business, as they have been regularly Tweeting, clearly without the help of a public relations manager, or regard for real world ramifications.

In the past two weeks, Jones has feuded with numerous fighters publicly on Twitter, tried unsuccessfully to get “Deontay Wilder” money in a super bout against Francis Ngannou, then got into a war of words with White, and has now apparently vacated the light heavyweight belt, tweeting “Bones out” like he’s walking away from the fight game entirely.
On top of this, in virtually the same time frame, McGregor got baited by Brazilian Anderson Silva, who offered up the Irishman as a potential opponent. McGregor, in turn, has been yammering back and forth with pretty much every fighter including welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, trying to insert himself back into the UFC’s narrative even though he’s still stuck in lockdown in Ireland.

Bones out, when you see me in the streets just call me JJ
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) May 31, 2020

McGregor’s post UFC 249 rant was typical of what we’re seeing from UFC fighters these days. They’re sitting at home, unable to burn off the energy at the gym, scrolling through social media feeds and inserting their foots in their mouths for the world to see.
Jones, on the other hand, can’t even seem to stay in his house. In early April police were called after a gunshot sound was reported in Albuquerque, New Mexico and police found him in his car. The result was a host of charges against a tarnished superstar: aggravated DWI, negligent use of a firearm, possession of an open container and no proof of insurance.
Jones’ mental health problems have clearly come to the surface as of late, but where are this guys’ level-headed handlers who can drive him around and keep his name out of the police report section of the papers?
UFC: White says Jones ‘could’ve been the LeBron of MMA’
White has one of the most difficult jobs in sport, even more so right now. Every day he has a stable of fighters knee-jerk tweeting, calling each other out like frat boys on a beach with too much to drink and not enough ample distractions. Add in a coronavirus, and a month-long delay between fights, and White probably feels like he could use a few days away from the incessant online chatter.
We must also give credit where credit is due, White and the UFC have now pulled off four cards during the coronavirus (without fans of course) in two states (Florida and Nevada). This is a massive win for the UFC who looked down and out after White tried unsuccessfully to host UFC 249 on a tribal lands casino in California.
There has been only one minor issue since the UFC resumed, as Ronaldo Souza and two of his corner men tested positive for Covid-19 before UFC 249, which finally went off May 9 in Jacksonville, Florida. White also has UFC 250 this weekend, in which Amanda Nunes will defend her women’s featherweight title against Felicia Spencer in the headline bout. Things appear to be back on track, minus the fans and lucrative gate revenue, but now White could use some online aromatherapy to mellow his fighters out.

185! Rock in like Rousimar.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 28, 2020

White has publicly stated getting back on schedule is a priority for the UFC, as the coronavirus lag threw a serious wrench into what was already shaping up to be a crazy 2020. Before lockdown we’d already seen McGregor make his triumphant return against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 246 on January 18, and then Jones eek out a decision win against Dominick Reyes in early February. On top of this, we saw what probably remains the fight of the year, China’s Weili Zhang and former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk go five full rounds of punishing stand-up kick-boxing.
While other sporting leagues and their athletes are sitting tight, staying relatively calm and quiet, White’s got a full blown kindergarten revolt on his hands. No one is going to accuse UFC fighters of being the sharpest tools in the shed, but the shouting matches currently going on within the vacuum of Covid-19 is clearly doing no one any good. One can only imagine what might transpire when you get a few of them together on White’s “Fight Island” passing by each other with their entourages on a tight footpath.
White’s got the UFC up and running again, but getting his fighters out of their virtual cages and into an Octagon has proven to be a problem only more fight cards will solve. The pressure he felt to resume as quickly as possible during the global pandemic has become apparent, as when it comes to the UFC, the devil is finding loads of work for idle hands.


UFC: Francis Ngannou lets featherweight punch him in stomach for training and looks scarier than ever

UFC: Tony Ferguson wants to ‘run it back’ against Justin Gaethje – this time ‘without my three previous practice partners helping you’

Dana White and the UFC’s social media problem as sport’s stars get antsy during Covid-19 lockdown

UFC: Dana White trademarks John Oliver’s ‘UF-Sea’ suggestion but tells him ‘I’m not giving you a cut’

UFC 249

Dana White has a problem on his hands: he needs his fighters off Twitter and back in the ring. Photo: AFP

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - MAY 16: UFC President Dana White watches the Featherweight bout between Giga Chikadze of Georgia and Irwin Rivera of the United States during UFC Fight Night at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on May 16, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

UFC: Jon Jones says ‘release me from my contract’ after Dana White claims he asked for ‘Deontay Wilder money’

Jon Jones watches a bout at UFC 210 in Buffalo, New York. Photo: AP

UFC: Dana White says Jon Jones ‘could’ve been the LeBron James of MMA’ but has ‘tarnished’ his career

UFC president Dana White speaks at a news conference in New York after UFC 249 was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic in April. Photo: AP

UFC: Jon Jones claims Dana White is lying to the fans about their negotiations – ‘I’m not gonna allow it’

Jon Jones delivers a kick to Dominick Reyes during their light heavyweight title fight at UFC 247. Photo: AP

UFC: Dana White shuts down Conor McGregor fighting Kamaru Usman – ‘he needs to see what plays out at 155’

Conor McGregor celebrates his first-round TKO victory against Donald Cerrone at UFC 246. Photo: AFP

UFC president Dana White in the octagon after a fight between Henry Cejudo and Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Florida in May. Photo: USA Today

Sport

Martial Arts

Mixed Martial Arts


An unprecedented global pandemic has cooped up mixed martial arts fighters and left them with nothing better to do than trash talk on social media
Both Jon Jones and Conor McGregor clearly aren’t used to being caged at home as they dig holes on Twitter and continue to get baited into arguments



An unprecedented global pandemic has cooped up mixed martial arts fighters and left them with nothing better to do that trash talk on social media.


Coronavirus pandemic: All stories

Martial arts

Social media

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Column

The Takedown