Dana White isn’t looking to put any rules in place that would force his fighters to get vaccinated.
The UFC head boss was asked about vaccinations given the number of bouts that have been forced to be cancelled thanks to COVID-19. Most recently, UFC Vegas 33 lost it’s co-main event hours before the start of the event, and another fight was pulled only to later be put back on.
The NFL and other pro sports league have put rules into place stating that teams and players who aren’t vaccinated will be held responsible for the forfeiture of games. White told TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter that you won’t see a similar policy being enforced by the UFC (H/T MMA News).
“I would never tell another human being what to do with their body,” White said. “If you want to get vaccinated, that’s up to you. That’s your choice. You’re never gonna hear me say I’m gonna force people to get vaccinated. Never gonna happen.”
White said that while other companies and governments are mandating that people are vaccinated, it will never happen under his watch.
“I think a lot of people are doing that,” White said. “They’re telling you in New York you can’t go into a restaurant or a gym unless you’re vaccinated and can prove it and things like that. Some people are getting fired if they don’t get vaccinated. Yeah, that’s not gonna happen here. You wanna get vaccinated? Get vaccinated. If you don’t, that’s your decision, your body.”
White has fluctuated between being nonchalant and downright dismissive of the COVID-19 pandemic. He made sure that his organization was the first to start up again after the infamous March 11 sports shutdown, and has been more than willing to allow fans pack arenas to his events. White has been adamant that he will just simply roll with the punches, and it looks like he will continue to do so.
Do you agree with Dana White? Should the UFC force fighters to get vaccinated?