Dana White promises safety will be a priority at UFC 249: “I don’t wanna die”

The UFC will return to our screens with UFC 249 this Saturday, and UFC President Dana White promises safety is going to be a priority.

White was asked about the precautions he’s taking for this event in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic during an interview with Sports Illustrated.

“I don’t wanna die,” White responded. “I don’t have a f**king death wish. I’m not out there trying to kill myself. And I don’t want to kill any of my employees or their families. It’s not like we’re running around with no plan. The thing is: Let’s find solutions. How do we get back as close to normal as we could possibly get? A 15,000- or 20,000-seat arena with no fans isn’t normal. A lot of things aren’t normal going into this event. But we’re trying to figure out how to make it as safe as possible. … Let me put it this way: We’re gonna go so overboard making sure everybody is healthy and safe that I just don’t see how we can possibly f— this up. … My fighters and my employees have been told: If you’re not comfortable coming back to work, you don’t have to. It’s not like we’re in some dire financial situation, like that’s why I’m pushing this.”

UFC 249, along with the next three cards thereafter, will go down in Jacksonville, Florida. In his interview with Sports Illustrated, White expressed gratitude for the people on the ground in the city, who have worked with him as he attempts to pull these events off safely.

“I love the fact that these guys in Jacksonville have been so receptive and helpful,” he said. “Instead of fighting us, they worked with us and figured out how we could pull it off safely. Somebody has to be first, right? Eventually. You just can’t hide forever. Who gets to determine how long we go without sports? It’s a really weird situation, in a weird time.”

What are your thoughts on Dana White and the UFC pushing ahead with UFC 249 during a global health crisis?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 5/5/2020.