“It’s like the NFL!” Dana White compares Alex Pereira and Kayla Harrison’s injury concerns to popular American sport

UFC CEO Dana White recently addressed the issue of injuries among fighters, stating that they are a natural part of the sport.

“It’s like the NFL!” Dana White compares Alex Pereira and Kayla Harrison’s injury concerns to popular American sport

Dana White reacts to the recent UFC 307 injuries (Image via Imago/Al.com)

There have been numerous cases where combat sports athletes have fought with several complications. Recently, the UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and women’s bantamweight fighter Kayla Harrison fought with injuries. Days later, UFC CEO Dana White discussed this issue at a press conference. As such, he even compared combat sports injuries to injuries in American football (NFL).

The recent PPV event in Salt Lake City, Utah, had light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira as the main attraction. However, the event raised concerns due to some fighters competing despite injuries. Dana White addressed these concerns, stating that such issues are common in close-contact sports like UFC. Moreover, he gave the example of the NFL, where athletes play with injuries every week.

If somebody is hurt and shouldn’t compete, they should absolutely come to us and tell us. But, the truth of the matter is it’s like the NFL every Sunday, these athletes always have something going on…

Dana White via DWCS post-fight press conference
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The NFL is a popular American football league that shares similarities with UFC, as both sports involve close contact. In these moments of proximity, athletes often injure themselves. Dana White has noted that, like the NFL, injuries are also a regular part of MMA and UFC. Moreover, he isn’t overly concerned about these injuries. As such, the UFC CEO believes the show must go on despite them.

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White’s comments come after the injury revelations from Kayla Harrison and Alex Pereira. The UFC light heavyweight champion has had his share of injuries. Despite that, ‘Poatan’ has delivered exceptional performances, as he recently did at UFC 307. On the other hand, Harrison had to visit the hospital a week before her UFC 307 fight. However, this is just a brief story from the long history of UFC injuries.

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Several UFC fighters have experienced a range of injury concerns and health issues throughout their careers. Recently, many fighters have been affected by staph infections caused by bacteria commonly found on the skin. This contagious disease has significantly impacted fighters’ training camps.

UFC fighter who had staph infection recently
UFC fighters who had staph infection recently (Image via Imago)

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka recently revealed that his training schedule was disrupted due to an infection. Just a month before, UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev also shared that he faced a similar health challenge to what Prochazka experienced. However, Makhachev could win despite dealing with the illness, while Prochazka suffered defeat.

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The effects of such health complications vary from fighter to fighter. Fighters like Alex Pereira and Islam Makhachev have proven themselves amidst those injuries and medical issues. As Dana White recently stated, all of these complications are a part of these sports, and fighters must compete amidst those complications.