The fight MMA gyms are now facing
MMA gyms all over the county have had to adapt and improvise to the global pandemic lockdown implications on businesses. The UFC has implemented protocols that emphasize on social distancing with a focus on preventing the spread of COVID-19.
The biggest problem facing the sport right now is the spread of the virus at gyms, where social distancing is practically impossible when fighters train with each other every day.
JacksonWink MMA is one of the biggest MMA gyms in the country with over 40 fighters from all over the globe. Coach Greg Jackson said only one person has tested positive.
“When you’re dealing with our numbers of fighters, it is absolutely inevitable,” Jackson said. “We just want to mitigate it as much as we can.
“It could literally be happening as we speak.”
“We want to follow the guidelines,” Jackson said. “If they get it, they’re isolated. If they’re working out with COVID, everybody else gets COVID and no one can fight.”
Fortis MMA had a team meeting with fighters and coaches to help prevent the spread of the virus.
“I told them, anybody that f—s up someone’s fight, you’re gonna have problems with me,” said Saud, the owner and head coach of Fortis. “Any type of extra behavior — no going to the bars, none of that s—. Whatever relationships you’re having, you have to understand the responsibility that you have to the team.”
Positive tests for COVID-19 have been the main contributor to fights being canceled. Many times fighters are depending on fighting to get a paycheck.
The owner of Syndicate in Las Vegas gave his thoughts on training during a pandemic.
“What choice do we really have?” Wood said. “Coronavirus or no coronavirus, if fighting is your career, you’ve gotta f—in’ fight. Ninety-seven percent [of fighters] don’t have insurance. Most of them don’t have anything else to fall back on. It’s like fight, or you’re f—ed.
“All these fighters, this is our jobs and careers. They’re relying on coaches and gyms. You’re fighting for a paycheck a lot of times — just to survive.”
Many fighters have already pulled out of fights due to testing positive.
Recently, Jorge Masvidal’s coach, Mike Brown, tested positive and was not allowed to board his flight to the fight.
Fortunately, no one else in Masvidal’s team tested positive for COVID-19 despite Brown’s results.
“If Jorge got sick and couldn’t have done this fight that did a million pay-per-views and got him a nice payday, that would be pretty catastrophic,” Lambert said. “You hope for the best and do everything you can — and even with that, you still need to get lucky.”
