MMA Fighting reports that UFC 249 will be a regulated event per The Association of Boxing Commission and Combative (“ABC”) Sports.
The Association of Ringside Physicians (“ARP”) released a statement earlier this week which advised not holding combat sports until further notice. On Tuesday, The MMA Report received a statement from the ABC stating that the organization concurred with the ARP recommendation. CORRECTION: Jason Floyd of The MMA Report informed us that he also received a statement from Dunn which reflected the same position as communicated in the MMA Fighting article.
However, MMA Fighting reached out to ABC president Brian Dunn who gave a different viewpoint.
“After speaking with UFC officials, the ABC board of directors determined this event could be listed as sanctioned,” Dunn told MMA Fighting. As a result of the sanctioned designation, no fighters would be no sanctions for any athletes or officials involved. Dunn noted that the UFC indicated that it would screen everyone for “COVID-19, have additional doctors and have made pre-arrangements with the nearest hospital to assure the immediate treatment of injured athletes.”
Notably, the New York Times reported a day prior that the nearest hospital from the Tachi Palace had not heard a word from the UFC as of Wednesday.
Payout Perspective:
One has to wonder why the turnaround from ABC on the UFC self-regulating. Moreover, what is to be made of the two different statements as to if the closest hospital was contacted. It could be a simple timing issue as to when the hospital was contacted by the UFC…or not. Perhaps they contacted a different hospital when talking to the ABC about the measures it secured to ensure safety. Obviously, the health and safety of all involved are paramount so one hopes that if the events go forward, the UFC ensures that safety measures are secured and procured.
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