‘It’s like hiding from cancer, you can’t hide’

UFC boss Dana White has been dragged over the coals by MMA fans and journalists after an interview with Yahoo Sports on Wednesday

White conducted the interview over Instagram Live and spoke about the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and the UFC's plans along with when they'll be back in action

Every major sporting organisation the world over has had to shut its doors as the virus wreaks havoc, but White says hiding from it isn't the way forward

"How long are we going to do this?" White told Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole.

"How long are we going to stay in our houses and hide? If the coronavirus is going to get me, then so be it. It is what it is. Heart disease, car accidents, cancer, the list goes on and on on, all these things that kill people every year.

"One thing is guaranteed - We're all going to die of something. You can't be somebody that's going to hide in your house for months."

"I don't think I'm a high-risk guy for this thing, and if I'm wrong, then the corona is going to get me. It is what it is. There's nothing you can do about it. I'm not going to refuse to live my life. I'm not going to hide," White added.

"Whether you're a coronavirus expert or not, it's like hiding from cancer. You can't hide from this thing. If you are a high-risk person, this thing's going to get you."

White's sentiment flies in the face of medical advice from health experts across the globe and saw him roasted by fans and members of the media.

"Dana White comparing COVID-19 to cancer just goes to show that no amount of money can stop you from being the dumbest f***ing bas**** west of the Mississippi," Associate editor of Bloody Elbow Zane Simon wrote.

The first rule of UFC 249 is you do not talk about where UFC 249 will be.

White said he found a place to hold UFC 249 as scheduled on April 19, but he is not yet willing to say where the event, headlined by Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson, will be.

"I do (know where it is). But I'm not ready to tell you yet," White said. "I know lots of things."

White told The Post's George Willis last week that the fight was going to happen, but outside of New York, and White said on "SportsCenter" that the fight was likely to take place outside of the United States. White said Monday it will still be broadcast on ESPN+ PPV.

"There aren't going to be any fans there," White said. "This thing is going to be a closed event. Everybody who is going to be involved in this thing is going to be involved because they want to be involved."

The event was originally supposed to be held at Barclays Center, but the spread of COVID-19 made that impossible as the CDC recommended an eight-week ban of gatherings involving 50-plus people.

UFC was forced to postpone three fights due to the coronavirus outbreak, but White is planning on Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson for the lightweight title marking the comeback.

- with Greg Joyce, NY Post

Originally published as 'It's like hiding from cancer, you can't hide'