Trump convinced UFC CEO to continue public events despite coronavirus warnings: report

The coronavirus is shutting down sporting events, Broadway shows, concerts, Disney, travel and more, but the UFC said they trust President Donald Trump over safety.

CEO Dana White told ESPN he made the decision to soldier on after speaking to the president, TMZ observed.

"I talked to the President and the Vice President of the United States today about this and they're taking this very serious and they're saying 'be cautious and be careful but live your life and stop panicking,'" he said.

"Everybody is panicking and instead of panicking we're actually getting out there and working with doctors and health officials and the government to figure out how to keep the sport safe and how we can continue to put on events."

The doctors and medical professionals involved are the ones saying that the safest option is to stay out of mass-events. The concern isn't merely that UFC fans could contract the disease, it is that they become carriers for the disease and then give it to anyone they come in contact with.

“I can’t give you a number,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “I can’t give you a realistic number until we put into the factor of how we respond. If we’re complacent and don’t do really aggressive containment and mitigation, the number could go way up and be involved in many, many millions.”

Saturday night's fight will be Kevin Lee vs. Charles Oliveira.

You can see the video of White below: