Dana White Says Donald Trump Encouraged UFC Events to Go On

The UFC will not cancel events in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic

Dana White Says Donald Trump Encouraged UFC Events to Go On
Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White greets President Donald Trump. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty)
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Though the overwhelming majority of major sports leagues have suspended play, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will continue to hold events, according to UFC president Dana White.

While the UFC won’t allow fans into the arena during this weekend’s UFC Fight Night event in Brazil, the show will go on.

According to White, he was able to reach that decision following a conversation with President Donald Trump about the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We always go overboard with health and safety and that’s what we’re gonna do here,” White said on ESPN. “I talked to the president and the vice president of the United States about this. They’re taking this very serious and they’re saying ‘Be cautious, be careful, but live your life and stop panicking.’ Everybody is panicking. And instead of panicking, we’re actually getting out there and working with doctors and health officials and the government to figure out how we keep the sport safe and how we can continue to put on events.”

White is “closely monitoring the situation” and said it is possible future UFC events could be moved from other cities and countries to the UFC APEX arena in Las Vegas.

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