UFC can be everything Dana White wants but not during coronavirus

Ultimately, the canceling of UFC 249 was the right decision even though you could tell it pained UFC president Dana White to do so. This wasn’t the time to put on an event when the rest of the world is telling you not to.

the Santa Rosa Indian Reservation outside of Fresno, Calif. As determined as White was to put on his show, he had no choice but to cancel the card after going through the considerable expense and effort to make the fights happen. But this is not a time to go rogue.

Yes, it probably would have done huge pay-per-view numbers on ESPN+. The sports world is starved for live action. Watching replays of past NCAA Tournaments and Masters are one thing. Still, there is nothing like a live event, which is what White was promising and is still promising.

“We’ll be the first sport back,” he vowed even while announcing UFC 249 had been canceled. “Fight Island is a real thing. The infrastructure is being built right now. It’s going to happen.”

Staging UFC 249 sounded plausible in theory. The UFC planned to “screen” everyone involved in the production of the card: The fighters, the officials, the ESPN personnel on site. They intended to self-regulate the bout using rules and medical procedures established by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Social distancing except for the fighters was to be practiced. Still, ESPN and the UFC had too much to lose.

Fighting next Saturday would’ve been too soon. Hundreds of people are dying daily from COVID-19. Families and lives are being impacted in countless ways. Our healthcare system is under siege. The future of the world is uncertain.

We’ve all been asked to sacrifice and do our part by staying home. Ignoring the wishes of state and local governments and athletic commissions would not have been the proper thing for the UFC and ESPN to do.

Officials working the bout didn’t need to risk their own health and the health of their families to put on an MMA event. The rest of the world has been told tests are only for those who have symptoms and the resources of healthcare workers are needed for those already ill.

Ultimately, ESPN made the decision for the UFC.

“Nobody wants to see sports return more than we do, but we didn’t feel this was the right time for a variety of reasons,” read a statement from ESPN.

MMA fans know the deal and won’t lose enthusiasm for a fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson, the original matchup that was set for April 18 at Barclays Center. Justin Gaethje, who was ready to fill in after Nurmagomedov couldn’t get out of Russia because of a travel ban, will get his chance, with Conor McGregor also in the mix.

This was not the best scenario for Gaethje anyway, taking his first shot at a UFC belt on 12 days’ notice against a very talented and ruthless Ferguson. Gaethje’s stock rose by making himself available, and he used Instagram to thank White for the opportunity to fight for the interim belt.

“I’m going to be working hard to be ready next time the opportunity arises,” Gaethje wrote. “Let’s get through this fight we are all facing right now by having a positive impact on our immediate surroundings [family, neighbor, community].”

White can still make the UFC the first sport back from this nightmare. Just not right now.