The UFC will open up to fans at UFC 261 on April 24th in Jacksonville, Florida. According to Dana White, all of the tickets are sold out and it broke the arena record for the VyStar Arena. Ominously, the tickets include an Assumption of the Risk.
MMA Mania points out the fine print:
The fine print on tickets for #UFC261 😬 pic.twitter.com/4CZNvgdfdx
— MMA mania (@mmamania) March 26, 2021
Certainly, this issue identifies that the coronavirus pandemic is not over and that despite the lax attitude of Florida, there is potential to catch COVID-19 in an indoor arena. The legal “fine print” presumably indemnifies the UFC from liability if someone were to become infected with COVID-19.
Last year in Jacksonville, there was some controversy with certain warranties that the UFC was requiring participants sign. Here, we see a similar attempt to contract out of liability.
Payout Perspective:
Would this legal language insulate the UFC from liability? Likely as fans attending the event have limited rights. In many activities like skiing or rafting there are indemnification clauses warning the participant of possible injury or even death. Obviously, they have been made aware of the possibility of infection based on this language and the general news about COVID-19. Still, if someone were to sue based on the belief that safety standards would not follow, it might be a compelling lawsuit. Still, the language identifies the fact that COVID-19 is real and it is contagious with serious implications.
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