Dana White revealed why he let Jacare Souza in the hotel despite knowing that he was exposed to the Coronavirus.

UFC 249 was a massive sporting event in the United States. Not only did it generate a huge amount of revenue, but it also kick-started live sports in the country. However, starting such an event amidst a global pandemic can be quite dangerous. As we learned, Jacare Souza and his cornermen tested positive for the Coronavirus.

According to Jacare, he was exposed to the virus through a relative. Even though he informed the UFC beforehand, Dana White did not cancel his bout. It was only when his test returned positive, the company called off the fight. By that time, he had successfully weighed in and even interacted with fellow Brazilian fighter Fabricio Werdum.

Why did Dana White allow Jacare Souza?

Well, there is no special reason here. The Company President simply wanted everyone to know that he is the real boss. And he can do whatever he wants.

“We waited for the test results,” White told TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter on SportsCentre. When asked why Souza was not pulled sooner, White insisted, “Because I didn’t want to. It’s my show. I’ll do what I want to do. I didn’t want to. I wanted to wait for the test to come in.” (Transcript via Bloody Elbow)

Thankfully, there wasn’t any transmission—that we know of—to other fighters or UFC personnel. The company conducted two more events after UFC 249. None of the fighters that participated in those events tested positive.

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“This was the best-case scenario for us. Florida worked out perfectly but this is the best-case scenario. For my people to be here. We gotta pull these two things off successfully — Saturday and then [June] 6th — and then we’re back in business. We’re rolling again. This is what we do. This is what we’ve always done. We figure out solutions to problems.”

Furthermore, Dana White reiterated that he is not scared of the virus. And has full faith in his plans.

“I understand that this thing is real and this thing is serious and people are dying, but I’m not afraid of this. I’m not afraid of it at all. I think we’ve come up with great plans,” White said. “Wait till you see what I’m working on for this summer.”