Michael Chandler definitely won’t be fighting in Abu Dhabi by the sounds of it. The UFC lightweight contender announced recently he would not be getting a Covid-19 vaccine.
But according to a journalist anyone wanting to attend UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi will need to provide full proof of vaccination:
Per source, adults attending #UFC267 in Abu Dhabi will need to provide proof of full vaccination through @AlHosnApp. Those under the age of 16 will need to provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test from up to 48 hours prior to the event.
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) August 30, 2021
UFC 267 is set for the Etihad Arena. The card will feature a welterweight fight pitting Li Jingliang against Khamzat Chimaev and the good news for prominent anti vaxxer Chandler is that he won’t be on it.
He’s facing Justin Gaethje at UFC 268 in New York, where regulations are not quite as stringent. In Abu Dhabi more than 75% of the population has been fully vaccinated.
At present there are only three fights on the UFC 267 card which is headlined by a light heavyweight title fight pitting Jan Blachowicz against Glover Teixeira. If unvaccinated guests aren’t welcome in Abu Dhabi that could rule out a few fighters as Dana White has previously stated that no-one on the roster needs get get a vaccine unless they want to.
Chandler is the first high profile UFC fighter to go on the record about refusing the vaccine. But we would be willing to bet he isn’t the only anti vaxxer on the roster and it will be interesting to see who is fighting on the upcoming events in Abu Dhabi.
