- UFC 249 suffers another setback as fighter tests positive
- The Event has been marred with controversy in its preparation
- Mental Health and Psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 Pandemic
UFC 249 has suffered its latest setback as Jacare Souza tested positive for Covid-19.
UFC President Dana White made a statement afterward, saying that the rest of the 23 fighters had tested negative:
We administered 1,200 tests this week, on 300 people. 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.
The event has been marred with controversy and setbacks with this one joining the list of snags that have affected the showcase.
The first was when undefeated Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was not able to make it to the fight as he found himself stranded in Russia with the country imposing a ban on flight travel.
The Dagestani fighter was set to fight Tony Ferguson, with the pair having failed to fight on four previous occasions.
A defiant White would then reveal plans of hosting the fight on when he revealed an ambitious plan of ‘having fights every week’ behind closed doors, and that he was in the process of securing a private island on which to stage the bouts.
He would then announce that for April 18 on ESPN plus pay-per-view, he would have the event at Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino on tribal land in California’s Central Valley.
All these plans would then be halted when California state officials contacted Disney, the parent company of ESPN, and expressed their concerns. ESPN would then inform White that it would not telecast them, forcing the postponement of U.F.C. 249.
This latest snag, however, does not seem to deter the bellicose president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
According to him, the positive case showed that the ‘system was working’ and this would not affect the events scheduled.
