Issue 192

September 2020

How is MMA as a whole coping with the crisis?

Behind closed doors. The new normal. They have become some of the commonly-heard phrases used for all sports in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and nowhere more so than within mixed martial arts. With the major MMA outlets UFC and Bellator now back in action in the US and the Middle East – we are yet to see a return in the UK, Brazil or elsewhere – just how successful have they been?

Has the UFC missed a trick in not getting Conor McGregor back, in an attempt to break all records during lockdown? Have the events evolved in that time? It would have been fascinating, for example, to see if the lure of the Irishman could have broken the mold given these extraordinary times. Instead, although McGregor hinted he could return, thus far the record-setting former two-weight world champion has remained on the sidelines.

But what we have witnessed, in a changed world, are the novel things. The thud and smack of strikes, the voices of the corners, even the breathing of the fighters themselves. There's a new rhythm to fight weeks with lengthy testing procedures, fighters having been quarantined and on sequenced times to use training facilities within designated zones at certain times within the 'fight bubble', the 'fight sphere.’ The biggest fight has been against the rising tide of a virus that up to now, cannot be fully quelled. 

We have seen Justin Gaethje once more raise his own profile, in that memorable night against Tony Ferguson, and the retirement of two-weight world champion, Henry Cejudo. We saw Michael Chandler confirm his place as one of the most dangerous KO artists out there in his rematch against Benson Henderson, and slowly, the fight leagues creeping back with a combination of young guns and the established names. The set-ups have been distinct – our masked fighters weighing in – with the UFC moving four times, from Florida, at the height of the pandemic, to Fight Island in the Middle East, with a raft of international fighters involved, and twice to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, which have included some of its most renowned names.

Bellator, meanwhile, have settled on the sprawling Mohegan Sun Resort in Connecticut, and have plans to use it – dually with Showtime Boxing, both under the CBS/Viacom banner – for the foreseeable future. This arrangement, according to what Bellator president Scott Coker told me recently, could hold until the end of the year, or at least until crowds are permitted to gather again. 

This is the new normal. Fighters have to find ways of training in small pods, reducing their risk of becoming infected, which in turn affects their livelihood.

Moreover, fighters say they have been affected by the silent venues they have had to fight in, that it is different. It takes a different mindset for individuals who so often feed off the energy and exuberance of the fans who adore them. And, on the other end of that, fans are yearning for a return to events, as everyone awaits the green light to allow aficionados of the sport to watch it live again. For now, all we can expect is to continue trying to savor the best match-ups that can be made in made-for-television events. It is not ideal, but it is just the way our world is shaped right now.

From this seat, in London, it is hard to envisage crowds returning before 2021, when the new normal will have become, by then, just the normal terms on which we all operate. So stay safe, wear your mask, wash your hands. And continue to support our fighters. And with those washed hands, say a little prayer for all those affected, and hope that we can all meet again, in person, as an international community as soon as possible.