The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the MMA calendar and its fighters over the past 21 months, and now its UFC President Dana White who is dealing with the virus.
On Wednesday, White revealed in an interview with Jim Rome that he tested positive for COVID-19 over Thanksgiving weekend. He added that he went to UFC personality, podcast host, and close friend Joe Rogan for medical advice, and also noted that he is vaccinated.
“We went up to my place in Maine for Thanksgiving; it’s tradition we go up there every Thanksgiving,” White said. “Somebody up there had it, and we get back and we all tested positive for COVID. Literally the whole family and my family up in Maine, too.
“We got back on Saturday. On Sunday – I cold plunge and steam everyday – I get out of the cold plunge and I get in the steam, and I spray the eucalyptus and I couldn’t smell anything. So I open the bottle, I start sniffing the bottle of eucalyptus, and I’m like yeah, I got no smell. So you know what this means. I literally got out of the steam, picked up my phone and called Joe Rogan.”
Upon hearing the news, several fighters and members of the MMA community reached out on social media to wish White good health, including middleweight contenders Kelvin Gastelum and Derek Brunson, and longtime official John McCarthy.
See how the pros reacted to the news below:
COVID is no joke. It is a serious illness that took the life of my Mother-in-Law. I truly hope and pray for @danawhite and his entire family to have a speedy and full recovery from this nasty virus
— Big John McCarthy (@JohnMcCarthyMMA) December 1, 2021