On Saturday night, US President Donald Trump congratulated UFC for restarting the sports world after a nearly 2-month hiatus. Trump’s taped message was played during ESPN’s broadcast of the UFC 249 undercard from a fan-free arena in Florida. He said, “I want to congratulate UFC President Dana White and the UFC. They’re going to have a big match. We love it. We think it’s important. Get the sports leagues back. Let’s play. Do the social distancing and whatever else you have to do. We need sports. We want our sports back. Congratulations to Dana White and UFC.”
Point to be noted that UFC 249 served as the first major sporting event to take place since the global epidemic shut down much of the United States nearly 8-weeks ago. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is an American mixed martial arts promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is owned and operated by parent company William Morris Endeavor. It is the largest MMA promotion company in the world and features some of the highest-level fighters in the sport on its roster. It was originally scheduled for April 18 in New York but was postponed in hopes of helping slow the spread of Covid-19.
It is noteworthy that the mixed martial arts titan is holding three shows in eight days in Jacksonville, where state officials deemed professional sports with a national audience exempt from a stay-at-home order as long as the location is closed to the general public. In the night’s main event Justin Gaethje put on a striking master-class to score a surprise knockout victory over Tony Ferguson and win the interim lightweight title. Ferguson, who came into the fight on a 12-win streak, suffered damage as Gaethje chopped at his legs and landed thunderous hooks before referee Herb Dean stepped in to end the fight late in the fifth round.