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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President, Dana White, tried everything in his power to keep the mixed martial arts (MMA) assembly line moving for ESPN, despite a global pandemic that shut down most of professional sports.
Then came the latest wave of restrictions from the federal government, and even a friendship with President Trump could not keep White in business for the month of March. But that doesn’t mean everyone in UFC was on board with the decision.
Like top welterweight contender, Colby Covington.
”I don’t think it was the right move,” Covington told MMA Fighting. “I think we’re healthy, young professional athletes. We already do something that’s dangerous enough as it is, getting locked into an Octagon and fighting each other, so what’s more dangerous than a little flu that’s going on right now? I think people just need to be more aware of what’s going on, wash their hands, social distancing, this and that. But as professional athletes, we already risk enough as it is.”
Covington also claimed people were “panicking and acting irrationally.”
“Chaos” found himself atop a short list of welterweight headliners when UFC needed a replacement for Leon Edwards. “Rocky” was bounced from his Tyron Woodley fight this weekend in London, shortly before the entire event was shelved for a later date.
No question Covington is in a big hurry to get back inside the cage and erase the memory of his championship loss to Kamaru Usman at UFC 245 last December. That said, it’s still too early to predict how long the promotion will be stuck in a holding pattern.