By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
UFC fighter Ronaldo Souza tested positive for the coronavirus and has been pulled from Saturday’s UFC 249 event. Souza was scheduled to face Uriah Hall at the event in Jacksonville, Florida. MMA reporter and pro wrestling fan Ariel Helwani reported on Thursday that the UFC fighters and AEW wrestlers were staying at the same hotel in Jacksonville (tweet below).
Stephen A Smith of ESPN.com reported that Souza arrived in Jacksonville on Wednesday and told UFC officials that one of his family members might have tested positive. Souza was tested despite being asymptomatic. The test came back positive after Souza had already taken part in the weigh-in for Saturday’s event. Florida state athletic officials are allowing the show to take place as scheduled because, as Smith wrote, “the system worked in Souza’s case.”
Powell’s POV: The system worked? Anyway, AEW held Dynamite in Jacksonville on Wednesday. Here’s hoping that the Souza was isolated and no one from AEW, UFC, or any of the hotel staff and other guests crossed paths with him, though the fact that he took part in the weigh-in is obviously alarming. Souza did wear a mask and gloves at the weigh-in (see the image below).
Two major events are happening in Jacksonville this week: UFC 249 and AEW tapings.
Coincidentally, all fighters/wrestlers and personnel for both orgs are staying at the same hotel in Jacksonville, I’m told. That could make for a fun time.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 6, 2020
Jacare was the only one who wore gloves, that I recall, to the weigh-ins today. And his faceoff with Hall had the most gap between them. pic.twitter.com/tjQVBL6L3R
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 9, 2020
This is the problem with holding live events right now. You can do everything ‘right’ as far as taking precautions, which it appears everyone did; but you can’t eliminate the risk entirely. They’re playing Russian Roulette, and every event is a turn, with multiple companies doing it. It’s just not safe.
Agreed. There’s literally no valid reason for anything like this going on at the moment, especially since the shows are so bad.