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The UFC Makes A Solid Return

This past weekend, the UFC was one of the first sports organizations to return from being shut down by the coronavirus pandemic. They held a fight card in Jacksonville, Fla., on Saturday night that received the attention of President Donald Trump.

“They’re going to have a big match. We love it. We think it’s important. Get the sports leagues back.” Trump said. “Let’s play. Do the social distancing and whatever else you have to do. We need sports. We want our sports back. Congratulations to Dana White and UFC.”

Everyone had to be tested before the fights to ensure everyone’s safety. One fighter, Ronaldo Souza, tested positive for the coronavirus prior to the event. He had to sit out of the event, where he was scheduled to face off against Uriah Hall.

All of the other 23 athletes that were tested were negative.

“We administered 1,200 tests this week, on 300 people,” White said. “It’s not unexpected one person would test positive. The system works. And what’s good about this is now we know Jacare tested positive, he’s doing what he needs to do, and we’re in a position to help him if he needs it.”

They reported that the cage floor where the fights took place was cleaned regularly Saturday night. Inside the arena, many that were permitted to attend wore masks and gloves.

Successful Return

The night was a success. The main card was filled with major excitement. Tony Ferguson, who was originally supposed to face Khabib Nurmagomedov, suffered a loss to Justin Gaethje. It has been stated that Ferguson suffered from an orbital fracture during the match.

Ferguson said his time was spent preparing for Khabib, who was not as much of a striker.

Henry Cejudo had an impressive performance defending his bantamweight belt. Right after the fight, he decided to announce that he would be retiring.

I’m happy with my career,” said Cejudo. “I’ve done enough in the sport. I want to walk away and enjoy myself. I’m 33 years old.”

The first reports were that Joe Rogan would be conducting interviews with a headset with the athletes after their fight. However, he found his way into the ring after every match to speak with the fighters.

The Future

White believes that these fights were as safe as they could be.

“This isn’t just some crazy … this is a well-thought-out plan,” said White. “We’ve had very, very smart people, doctors, and people that have been involved with the UFC for a very long time working on this thing nonstop since it started.”

Now, other sports leagues are going to have to follow the lead that the UFC has set. Fans are starting to call on boxing to go through the same actions as the UFC has for fighters to continue to compete.

There will be more UFC fights this week in Jacksonville. Now that the first fight card has gone smoothly, White will be in full force to return the UFC to normal. Sports fans across the country finally got to enjoy a live event.

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