Francis Ngannou was originally scheduled to fight Jairzinho Rozenstruik in the main event of UFC On ESPN 8 on March 28th, but with that event now having been postponed due to the coronavirus situation the heavyweight star has revealed that he may fight on the upcoming UFC 249 event instead.
“There is a chance that I can be fighting [at UFC 249], but they have to settle everything down,” Ngannou told Submission Radio. “Like, for now, it seems like they have a location, but they have to double-check and see how they can handle this event safely for people. Because, first of all, it’s not just about [fighters]. They are not just expecting to work with people that are fighting, they’re also trying to make things to care about our health. So, I got tested, they got me tested for the COVID-19, so I guess they tested other fighters, which is kind of like a positive thing, and like, makes you feel a little bit safe to get close or along with those people.
“I won’t be concerned, because once again, okay, I don’t wanna say that COVID-19 is nothing, I don’t want to say it’s not bad, but technically I think it’s a flu that we have all the time. The only problem with it is that it’s contagious and it can spread very fast. But no, I won’t be concerned about it because even after I’ve had a test, I wasn’t very worried. I was like, okay, whatever it is, it’s gonna be okay. It’s not like bad. Because, I think the thing right now is just the panic. So, this thing has caused more panic then the real pain itself. We are just panicking.
“Obviously I haven’t fought for a very long time and I really wanna fight, but at the same time, it’s not just because I wanna fight. I mean, like, if I feel like I’m not safe, I won’t be a part of it. But, I’m just part of it because I feel like it’s safe. Because, nothing is worth my health.”
