Gilbert Burns’ screams echoed throughout the arena during the co-main event at UFC on ESPN+ 28 in Brasilia, Brazil.
Burns (18-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) knocked out Demian Maia (28-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC), but the moment lacked the typical energy of a knockout. Under normal circumstances, Burns would be celebrating his win with thousands of fans in a raucous environment. Typically, the crowd would go wild after seeing him send Maia to the mat.
But because of the coronavirus, MMA took precautions to empty the arena for the event. There were no fans in attendance. (And of course, that may not have been a big enough precaution amid the COVID-19 outbreak, with the NBA, NHL and MLS suspending play altogether.) That made for an eerily quiet celebration, even after one of the most exciting moments of the evening. When the commentators stopped talking for a moment, it was just Burns’ yells. Here’s a look:
Maybe fans couldn’t be in the arena to react, but they celebrated from home by participating in the conversation on social media.
Surely, fans are taking comfort in watching sports in a difficult time. But this felt like a bad idea, considering most American sports are shutting down in an effort to honor the CDC’s request for social distancing.
