“Everybody Thinks They Have the Coronavirus” – Dana White Rubbishes Fighter Claims

Two division champion Amanda Nunes will return to the Octagon to make her maiden Featherweight title defense. She faces Felicia Spencer in the main event at UFC 250. Earlier at the pre-fight media interaction, ‘Lioness’ claimed that she thinks she has had the coronavirus. The media asked UFC President Dana White about this following the faceoffs and he dismissed the remarks.

Dana White dismisses fighters claims of having coronavirus 

The UFC President was scornful as he said, “Everybody thinks they have the coronavirus. I thought I was like, ‘oh I definitely had it.’ I was sick in January. It was Chinese New Year, I was playing cards every night, down at the thing. I thought I had it. Everybody thinks they had the coronavirus. Everybody.”

White ended by saying no fighter currently has the virus. “If anybody had it they wouldn’t be here. They wouldn’t be fighting.”

Nunes is the second fighter to claim to have had Coronavirus. When White used the words Chinese New Year he must have been referring to Heavyweight fighter Alistair Overeem. ‘Demolition Man’ claimed to have already had the virus as he was in Thailand during the celebrations. 

The UFC will be hosting its 5th event after resuming with UFC 249 in Florida. Till now, only one fighter in Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza (at UFC 249) has tested positive. The UFC pulled him from the event and scrapped his fight against Uriah Hall.

UFC 250 has had its own share of pandemic based drama with Ian Heinisch initially being pulled from the event. This was because one of his cornermen tested positive. However, subsequent tests came back negative and the fighter’s bout against Gerald Meerschaert is back on.

One UFC fighter who had tested positive earlier was Lyman Good. The ‘American Cyborg’ was to fight Belal Muhammed at the original UFC 249. Initially, he pulled out due to injury. But later revealed that it was actually because of the coronavirus. 

What is your take on White’s stance regarding fighters claiming they have contracted the coronavirus?