UFC relying on hefty health and safety blueprint for trio of Florida shows

The UFC returns to action Saturday after a two-month absence with the first of three shows in Jacksonville, Fla. — working off a hefty health, safety and operations manual in the face of COVID-19.

The mixed martial arts organization plans to use the 25-page-plus blueprint as its bible for the week covering the Florida cards and for future shows — all without spectators — planned at the UFC Apex facility adjacent to its Las Vegas headquarters.

“The protocols actually begin before anybody even arrives at site,” said Lawrence Epstein, the UFC’s COO and senior executive vice-president.

Everyone travelling to the event is quizzed in advance about potential COVID 19 symptoms or whether they have been in contact with anyone who has. If there are no red flags, they get the green light to go to the event.

Upon arrival, they undergo two tests — the antibody test and a deep nasal swab.

The antibody test provides almost immediate results while the swab takes about 20-24 hours. If the antibody test comes back positive, the person is isolated until the results from the swab come back.

With shows also planned for March 13 and 16, the UFC has essentially taken over one tower of the host hotel.

“We’ve got a hotel that we control,” said Epstein. “Practice areas and other things like that that are completely under our control, under a schedule. (There’s) cleaning inbetween to make sure there’s nothing passed on even though everyone’s tested clean.”

The UFC says it has slashed its production staff, from the normal 300-plus including fighters and their corners, by more than half. It is also trying to limit interaction, even at the correct physical distancing.

During the broadcast the three commentators will sit at separate tables. Media covering the event, who also had to undergo tests for COVID-19, will also be limited.

“You’re certainly going to notice people wearing protective gear,” said Epstein. “We’re going to be following CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines which include social distancing and, of course, wearing masks. So you’re going to see a lot of that.

“Obviously with respect of the athletes competing, that’s not an option. But we’re certainly giving the opportunity to everybody involved to wear protective equipment and that would include the referee.”

Epstein said the referees will be given the choice whether to wear a mask. But camera operators and local commission officials will be wearing them.

It will be a new look for the UFC’s “Octagon girls,” if they don masks.

The post-fight interviews won’t come in the cage as normal. Instead the fighters will do the interviews from a remote location via headsets. 

Fighters and their corners normally share warmup rooms at the show. That won’t happen this time with the UFC, taking advantage of the extra room in the arena due to the lack of fans, creating more space for the fighters.

The UFC also brought 26 portable saunas, instead of the normal four, to keep the fighters apart as they cut weight.

Former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, for one, said fighting without fans won’t be too different, given his preparations for the bout.

“We’ve all been having to train with minimal people, like four to six people max in the gym so that nobody’s getting contaminated,” said Cruz, who is featured in the co-main event Saturday. “And it’s been pretty silent in there.”

Lightweight contender Justin Gaethje, who is in Saturday’s main event, believes it may make for a better spectacle for the viewers.

“I believe it is going to be much more of an intimate situation as weird as that sounds. The fans are going to get to hear the shots when we land our shots. They are going to hear the breathing. They are going to hear the talking from the coaches.”

Despite its best attempts, the UFC hasn’t held a show since March 14, when it staged a full fight card in an empty arena in Brazil.

All three of the Florida cards are at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, home to the Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL, an affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets.

The trifecta starts Saturday with UFC 249 featuring Tony Ferguson, ranked No. 1 among lightweight contenders, against No. 4 Gaethje for the interim 155-pound title and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo defending his 135-pound crown against Cruz.

The high-profile pay-per-view was originally slated for April 18, first in Brooklyn and then at a casino on native ground in Lemoore, Calif.

In a sport where you essentially don’t get paid if you aren’t competing, the fighters themselves seem just happy to be back in action.

“Right now there is no Olympics. There is no Wimbledon. There is no NBA drafts. No NFL drafts. There is no tennis. There is no soccer, hockey. There is no baseball,” said Ferguson, who clearly missed the recent NFL draft. “This what we bring to the table, man, and we are going out there and do our best and we are going to keep sports alive.”

“Yes, this is going to bring a sense of normalcy to people,” added Gaethje.

On May 13, a light-heavyweight bout between No. 3 Anthony (Lionheart) Smith and No. 8 Glover Teixeira headlines the first of two televised cards in Jacksonville. Canadian Sarah (Cheesecake) Moras, a native of Kelowna, B.C., who trains out of Las Vegas, faces No. 15 Sijara (Sarj) Eubanks on the undercard.

The heavyweight main event of the May 16 show pits No. 8 Alistair (The Demolition Man) Overeem against No. 9 Walt (The Big Ticket) Harris.

For the UFC, putting shows on is good for the bottom line. And good for the U.S., in the eyes of president Dana White.

“UFC will be the first sport back and it’s happening May 9, 13 and 16 in Jacksonville, Florida,” White tweeted back on May 1. “I’m excited for the rest of the sports world to join us! Let’s get back to work America!”

No wonder White appreciated a quote from seventh-ranked strawweight contender Carla Esparza, who also fights Saturday.

“As fighters we knowingly take a risk every time every time we step in that cage and this is always our choice … To me that’s what this country is about — the freedom to make our own choices,” said Esparza.

White highlighted the quote on his Twitter feed to 52 million followers, with the hashtags “respect” and “badass.”

Cruz also shared his view on fighting during the pandemic.

“Realistically anybody can contract this virus, I think that’s partially the point — understanding that anyone on earth can get this, but you can’t just freeze up when you see something that’s scary.

“You’ve got to take the precautions, be as safe as possible but live your life. That’s what I’m doing.”

A May 23 card is planned for Las Vegas at the UFC Apex facility with the main event reportedly between former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, ranked No. 1 among 170-pound contenders, and No. 6 Gilbert Burns.

White also insists “Fight Island,” an offshore venue shrouded in mystery, will be up and running by June.

The UFC had previously scrapped televised events April 25 in Lincoln, Neb., May 2 in Oklahoma City and May 16 in San Diego as well as the pay-per-view UFC 250 on May 9 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

It was also forced to postpone cards originally slated for March 21 in London, March 28 in Columbus, Ohio, and April 11 in Portland, Ore.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2020.

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press