The UFC was one of the first major sports leagues to return during the COVID-19 global pandemic, and has proven it can be done. However, the number of fights canceled due to a positive tests appears to be increasing, with two bouts canceled on fight day this Saturday. The fighters were tested before they flew, tested on arrival, and thereafter, did fight weel and the media day, weighed in, and then came up positive, with the results returning after weigh-ins. The same thing happened last week with Curtis Blaydes, although the test came back before weigh-ins.

At the UFC on ESPN 19 post-fight press conference, president Dana White was asked about it.

Who knows? replied White. I have no idea; the COVID thing is more rampant now. Another friend that I talked to today, who lives on an island in Alaska, somewhere where they have a population of 4,000 people, over 40 people have COVID there now, and it’s like a huge deal.

This stuff is definitely spreading. When we were first going through this stuff, I didn’t know anybody that had it. And then, you know, one employee came up with it and got through it quick. But personally, somebody that I was friends with hadn’t had it yet, and now everyone’s got it, you know what I mean?

People show up with it, or I think what happened this time, somebody had had contact with somebody else and was training their fighter and then gave it to them. I don’t know exactly what the deal was, but – I don’t know.

The vaccine will not be widely available until the summer, so the problem is not going to go away for a while. In fact, there is very good reason to believe that it is going to get worse, before it gets better.

h/t Danny Segura for MMA Junkie