UFC are fighting on behind closed doors – but should they be?

UFC London will continue in an as yet to be decided venue this weekend but, as Alex Pattle writes, questions over whether it should go ahead at all are far more pertinent

UFC is set to continue behind closed doors (Reuters)

Don’t worry, fight fans, UFC London: Woodley vs Edwards has deftly navigated the coronavirus chaos and will be going ahead this weekend.

“How?!” I hear you ask in ebullient disbelief.

Well, it won’t actually be taking place in London. In fact, it won’t be staged in the UK at all.

Also worth mentioning is that Birmingham native and headliner Leon Edwards, around whom the event was based, won’t be competing.

But don’t worry, UFC London: Woodley vs Edwards is going ahead on Saturday.

“What’s the point?” you now ask with a hint of bemusement. Great question.

As coronavirus crumpled up sport’s best-laid plans this week and hurled them into a metaphorical recycling bin, UFC has resisted.

While the upper lips of leagues and competitions in football, rugby, tennis and more quivered in the wake of this disease, UFC’s stayed stiff, in keeping with the great traditions of England, their original destination for 21 March.

UFC London – which was set to showcase some of the greatest UK talent in MMA, including Marc Diakiese, Darren Stewart, Jai Herbert and Danny Roberts – will now be held behind closed doors in an as-yet-undetermined location in the United States after Donald Trump’s ban on travel to and from the UK meant headliner and former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley would be unable to make it here. The vast majority of bouts on the card are now set to be replaced due to the absence of UK fighters.

If the president of UFC weren’t such good friends with the president of the United States, there would be every reason to believe that White would stick Woodley in a private jet and parachute him down into the O2 Arena to ensure the event continued in a manner that at least remotely reflected its original state.

“We’ve been closely monitoring the situation with the coronavirus and its potential impact on the health and safety of UFC athletes, staff and fans around the world,” UFC president Dana White said on Friday ahead of UFC Brasilia, which went ahead behind closed doors in Ginasio Nilson Nelson on Saturday.

“We’re moving forward with all our UFC live events, but we’re gonna adapt to these unprecedented circumstances,” White continued. “Some of the events will be moved from the original host city to the UFC Apex here in Las Vegas, and unfortunately, fans may not be allowed to attend the events.

“You know I hate this, but the decision has been made with the best interests of everyone involved in our events. This is a very tough situation that is constantly evolving, so we will keep you updated as best we can.”

While fans who were set to attend UFC London and other upcoming events staged by MMA’s flagship promotion will receive refunds, the financial fix for fighters is less clear.

Meanwhile, Scott Coker, president of UFC’s rivals Bellator, announced the postponement of Bellator 241 – originally scheduled for 13 March – and added that all fighters on the card who had made weight would be paid in full.

If Bellator’s plan of action seems to you like a much better way to look out for the health, safety and finances of its fighters and fans than UFC’s strategy of stubbornness, you might be onto something.

Of course, this writer would be as upset as every other MMA fan at the potential cancellation of April's scheduled UFC lightweight title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson – purists' most anticipated clash in the history of the sport, a cursed bout that has already been cancelled four times over the last several years.

But what would be more upsetting would be UFC continuing to jeopardise the health and safety of those fighters who jeopardise their own health and safety enough on a daily basis just by doing their job.

Ultimately, the perception of MMA as barbaric and brutal is augmented more by decisions like UFC’s this week than any action that could ever take place in a ring.