20 | Monday, March 30, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY SPORTS

EPIDEMIC MMA White pulls no punches against ‘wimpy’ media

By MURRAY GREIG [email protected]

If nothing else, UFC boss Dana White is consistent in his love­hate relationship with the media. While desperately trying to sal­ vage hype for lightweight champi­ on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s much­anticipated title defense against Tony Ferguson in UFC 249 on April 18, White recently took to Instagram to slam media criticism regarding his company’s delayed reaction to COVID­19. In a streamed session with fight­ er Kamaru Usman on March 19, White said that some of the report­ ers who cover UFC are “the weak­ Dana White est, wimpiest people on Earth”. From left: Shanghai SIPG’s Brazilian trio Hulk, Oscar and new signing Ricardo Lopes were admitted to China last Friday — beating the new His comments came five days restrictions on foreign arrivals by just 11 minutes. XINHUA AND GETTY IMAGES after UFC Fight Night 170 was lenger Kevin Lee. staged in an empty arena in Brasil­ The walk­on music reverberated ia — in marked contrast to every off empty seats as the fighters other major North American made their way to the cage, while sports league suspending their ring announcer Joe Martinez schedules. barked their names and records FOREIGN ARRIVALS BAN White and the UFC were heavily into the cavernous void. criticized for holding the 12­bout “It was a bit weird not having card in the Brazilian capital, which any fans inside the arena,” Swed­ saw only the fighters, trainers, TV ish bantamweight Bea Malecki PUTS RESTARTS ON HOLD production personnel and UFC told Sports Illustrated. “But I was officials inside the 25,000­seat Nil­ able to hear every word my coach­ April resumption of top­flight soccer and basketball action now looks unlikely son Nelson Gymnasium. es were saying, and it was good. It In his response, White, who has was a crazy week; we didn’t know long had a roller­coaster relation­ if the fights were going to happen By SUN XIAOCHEN suspension, while the ministry said Former Manchester United mid­ Former NBA All Star Marbury, ship with the media, didn’t pull or not, but we stuck to the plan. It [email protected] the restrictions can be adjusted fielder Marouane Fellaini became who finished his 14­day isolation any punches. was really emotional.” depending on how the pandemic the first CSL player to return a posi­ last Wednesday following his arrival “Think about this: Go online Meanwhile, as White continues With foreign players’ inbound situation evolves. tive test for the virus upon his arriv­ in the Chinese capital on March 11, and look at some of these people — to seek a suitable venue for the route now blocked by China’s new With life slowly getting back to al in China on March 22, and the rejoined his team at its east Beijing and this isn’t a knock, this is just Nurmagomedov/Ferguson fight, entry restrictions amid the coronavi­ normal in China thanks to the Belgium international is now under training facility on Friday after fact: The weakest, wimpiest peo­ UFC’s biggest star, lightweight rus pandemic, the country’s profes­ nation’s strict outbreak control quarantine. retesting negative. ple on Earth cover the biggest, Conor McGregor, has posted an sional sports leagues have put their measures, expectations had grown The severe threat from imported His appearance at the gym lifted baddest sport on Earth,” he said. online plea for his native Ireland highly anticipated restarts on hold. that the CSL would start its delayed COVID­19 infections, as highlighted the spirits of his players, who he had “What do you expect them to and the rest of the world to go into Soccer’s Shanghai SIPG, however, 2020 campaign as early as late April by the Fellaini case, coupled with been endeavoring to oversee online say. What do you think they’re gon­ full lockdown mode. managed to beat the ban on foreign and that the Chinese Basketball the latest entry restrictions, has during his quarantine, and has na say? I have over 350 employees McGregor last week posted a nationals entering the country just Association league might resume its sparked renewed caution over pro­ boosted their preparations for the working for me. Multibillion­dol­ video through his MacLife You­ minutes before it came into effect. regular season behind closed doors posals to resume domestic league pending restart. lar companies are laying off all Tube channel urging a united The Chinese Super League club’s at about the same time. action, despite effective virus con­ “I am extremely happy that the their employees right now. front in establishing a worldwide Brazilian trio of Oscar, Hulk and The indefinite absence of many of tainment at home. coach is back. It means that I can “We haven’t laid off one person lockdown to fight COVID­19. newly signed left winger Ricardo the leagues’ imported players, The General Administration of continue improving under his at UFC … and every fighter that “I want to call upon my people, Lopes all officially arrived in Shang­ though, seems likely to thwart any Sport of China, the country’s top watch,” said Royal Fighters guard fights for me will fight three times the great people of Ireland, hai at 11:49 pm on Friday — 11 min­ plans for imminent restarts. sports authority, has called off plans Zhang Fan. this year. Our schedule will go on.” because this fight needs us all,” utes before the start of the ban, According to industry analysts to restart the CBA season on April 15 Having developed a deep bond At this point in the interview, McGregor says in the video. which is designed to stop the flow of Lanxiong Sport, 35 out of 71 import­ with behind­closed­doors tourna­ with China since joining the CBA as White unleashed a foul­mouthed “We are all in the red corner imported virus cases. ed players signed up with CSL clubs ments in light of the latest develop­ a player in 2010, Marbury kept his 5 tirade against the media, saying together, awaiting the bell, so let’s Flying on a luxury Bombardier for the 2020 season had made it ments, according to Beijing Youth million Weibo followers well “they don’t feed families”, “don’t gather together and ring the bell private jet, the trio — worth 120 mil­ back to China by Friday, while 21 of Daily. informed of his life in quarantine have people that count on them” ourselves — including the people lion euros ($134 million) in total 46 foreign players and coaches The CBA is now exploring a con­ with regular posts that often and “don’t have people to support”. of the rest of the world. True lock­ transfer fees — landed at Shanghai’s hired by 20 CBA teams had returned tingency plan to allow each team to expressed support for China’s virus­ He also lauded UFC’s supposed down must begin and it must Pudong International Airport and before the deadline. use only one foreigner on court at control measures. dedication to medical testing even begin now!” are now observing a mandatory Even having acquired Chinese any given time, down from two earli­ A photo of a certification letter before the outbreak began. “We McGregor also took to Twitter to 14­day quarantine period, according passports, some of the country’s nat­ er this season, if the league is allowed issued by the neighborhood office were taking care of people and share an exchange with Ireland’s to a 163.com report. uralized players, such as Guangzhou to resume before the travel ban is that deals with Marbury’s Beijing making sure that everybody’s finance minister, Paschal Dono­ However, the entry suspension Evergrande’s Brazil­born striker removed, added the report. With apartment went viral on Wednes­ healthy, and every fighter that’s hoe, showing that the Dubliner is issued by the Foreign Ministry on Ricardo Goulart, have been told by some teams hit harder than others day. It read: “We hereby certify that with me is getting much better putting his money where his Thursday night caught most of Chi­ clubs to stay put due to the reduc­ by the absence of foreign stars, the Comrade Marbury has finished the medical attention than they would mouth is. na’s professional sports clubs off tion in the number of international idea is designed to level the playing quarantine.” at home,” White added. “Today I am purchasing myself 1 guard, with the majority of their for­ flights departing for China and the field as much as possible. In one Chinese post, the 43­year­ The absence of fans in Brasilia million euro worth of personal eign employees — be they players, risk of infection during long trips. Still, some of the league’s highest­ old New York native said: “We need provided an eerie backdrop for protective equipment to be coaches or trainers — now stuck From Sunday, China’s domestic profile foreign employees, including to stay calm and united in this fight UFC Fight Night 170, which was deployed to all the fighting hospi­ overseas indefinitely. airlines are required to cap their the Beijing Ducks’ American guard against the pandemic. As long as we telecast worldwide by ESPN and tals in the Leinster region,” McGre­ Foreign nationals arriving with international routes to one flight Jeremy Lin and Beijing Royal Fight­ stand together and act in unifica­ headlined by Charles Oliveira’s gor wrote, referring to the east of diplomatic, service, courtesy or per country per week, according to ers coach Stephon Marbury are back tion, it’s only a matter of time for us three­round submission of former Ireland. “It is our most affected C­type visas are not affected by the the Civil Aviation Administration. in China and raring for tip­off. to defeat the virus.” lightweight championship chal­ region so far.”

Digest

SOCCER Juventus squad agrees ATHLETICS BASKETBALL TENNIS RUGBY Neymar backs campaign to salary reductions Iran discus trailblazer Infected Knicks owner Osaka: Olympics will All Blacks coaches to help Brazil’s needy Juventus players and coach Mau­ Hadadi tests positive ‘overseeing business’ bounce back stronger accept ‘big’ pay cut Paris Saint­Ger­ rizio Sarri have reached an agree­ Ehsan Hadadi, James Dolan, the executive chair­ Japan’s two­ All Blacks head coach Ian Foster main forward ment over a wage reduction that will Iran’s first Olympic man of Madison Square Garden time Grand Slam says he and his colleagues are taking Neymar has save the Italian champion 90 million track and field med­ Company and owner of the New York champion Naomi a pay cut and players will follow suit backed a cam­ euros ($100.26 million), the Serie A alist, has tested pos­ Knicks, has tested positive for the Osaka, the poster as New Zealand Rugby cuts expenses paign to help club announced on Saturday. itive for coronavirus. girl of the Tokyo while professional competitions are underprivileged Sarri and the first­team players coronavirus, World The Knicks announced Dolan’s 2020 Olympics, shuttered during the coronavirus families in Brazil have agreed what amounts to a four­ Athletics reported diagnosis on Saturday night. It is not took to social pandemic. cope with the cor­ Neymar month pay reduction to help the on Saturday. Ehsan clear when he was tested or when he media on Satur­ Naomi In a radio interview on Saturday, onavirus out­ Turin­based club during the corona­ Hadadi, the Hadadi received the diagnosis. day to show her Osaka Foster confirmed he and other coach­ break. virus crisis. Asian discus cham­ Dolan is the first major American support for the es had agreed to substantial pay cuts Led by Brazilian television person­ The effective one­third cut to the pion who became a national hero when pro sports owner known to have test­ decision to postpone the Games until as long as New Zealand Rugby’s reve­ ality Luciano Huck, the initiative also players’ annual salaries will mean a he won silver at the 2012 Olympics in ed positive for the virus. He also next year. The 22­year­old was the nues are affected. He did not give a has the support of dual world surfing huge drop in wages for a squad London, has a training base in the US owns the National Hockey League’s central character in the video to percentage figure. champion Gabriel Medina and other headed by Portuguese superstar but was at home in Teheran when he New York Rangers, along with other launch Tokyo 2020’s official motto for “Our coaching group has definitely Brazilian celebrities. Cristiano Ronaldo, who is reported contracted the virus. venues like Radio City Music Hall, the Games last month. taken a big cut,” Foster said. “It’s The campaign calls on Brazilians to earn 31 million euros a year. “We’ve received word that Iranian The Hulu Theatre and The Chicago “Everyone knows how much the already been agreed to. to donate money — either directly or The agreement comes at a time discus thrower @EhsanHadadi has Theatre. Olympics means to me and how “With rugby, when there’s no through charity organizations — to when many clubs around Europe tested positive for Coronavirus. We wish “The Madison Square Garden proud I will be to participate in my games there’s no revenue and that’s a those in need, regardless of the have had to cut wage bills because of him a full and swift recovery,” World Company Executive Chairman and home country,” Osaka, the world No tough thing. There’s been a lot of amount. the dramatic impact that postponed Athletics, the sport’s global governing Chief Executive Officer Jim Dolan 10, wrote on Twitter. shaving of the programs and what it’s “Solidarity must be more conta­ or behind­closed­doors matches has body, said on Twitter. has tested positive for coronavirus,” “I am disappointed that it won’t also come down to is cutting salaries. gious than the virus,” Neymar said in had on their revenue. Tasnim news agency reported Iran the Knicks’ statement said. “He has happen this year but we’ll all be ready That’s happened for some and hap­ a video posted on social media. Medi­ “The economic and financial Athletic Federation doctor Ashkan been in self­isolation and is experi­ to be stronger than ever in 2021! I sup­ pening for others.” na added: “Now more than ever we effects of the understanding reached Ordibehesht as saying that the 35­year­ encing little to no symptoms. He con­ port Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s brave Foster said he had spoken to sever­ need to give a hand to others.” are positive for about 90 million old Ehsan had self­quarantined after tinues to oversee business decision and the IOC 100 percent. al All Blacks players who accept their The Brazilian government on euros for the 2019/2020 financial being diagnosed with the virus. operations.” “Sport will eventually unite us pay will be cut and are prepared to Thursday announced a monthly sub­ year,” Juventus said in a statement. “His recovery is going well,” the doc­ New York is a hotspot for the pan­ again and be there for us always, but make that sacrifice. sidy of 600 reais ($120) for low­in­ “The understanding provides for tor added. demic in the US. All 50 US states that time is not now.” “It’s a different sort of process for come workers and small the reduction of the compensation Hadadi, a six­time Asian Champion­ have reported some cases of the She added: “To the people of Japan: players but I know that they’re will­ entrepreneurs as many states impose for an amount equal to the monthly ship winner and Asian­record holder, virus, but New York has the most, stay strong, hang in there, and let’s ing to go into that space too,” he said. lockdowns that effectively halt the payments of March, April, May and had been among the favorites to win with over 52,000 positive tests and show the world our beautiful country informal economy. June 2020.” gold at the Tokyo Games. more than 700 deaths. when the time is right in 2021.” XINHUA — AGENCIES