UFC 216 fighters carry on with heavy hearts in wake of Las Vegas mass shooting

LAS VEGAS – Among the events taking place at T-Mobile Arena this month are Vegas Golden Knights home games and concerts by The Weeknd and Jay-Z. There’s also UFC 216 this Saturday.

In a normal week, these events would flash in rotation on the promotional video board outside the arena. This, however, is not a normal week. Displayed instead are messages of inspiration and gratitude toward first responders to the massacre outside Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, where a gunman killed 58 people and injured more than 500 as he shot from the 32nd floor onto a nearby concert crowd.

In the wake of this tragedy, the UFC, which is donating $1 million to affected families, is carrying on with the first major sporting event scheduled in this city. Not surprisingly, it’s difficult for some fighters to handle their business as usual just down the street from where the worst mass shooting in modern American history happened.

That’s especially true for Las Vegas resident Kevin Lee, who admitted at Wednesday’s media day it’s been a struggle to shift focus entering the biggest fight of his career.

“Yeah, it’s rough,” said Lee, who faces Tony Ferguson in the headlining interim lightweight title bout. “There isn’t really much for me to say. …

“I’ve got a job to handle. I’m not going to let one man ruin that. He’s a coward.”

Evan Dunham also finds himself in a tough spot as a resident of the city, coping as he prepares for a lightweight bout with Beneil Dariush.

“It’s definitely been a tough one,” Dunham said. “I could stay focused on the task at hand. I know what needs to be done, and I’m ready to do it. Go out there and get a win for Vegas. … (This) affected everyone in one way or another. It’s just a horrible tragedy.”

Some UFC 216 fighters were on The Strip when the shooting began, including Dariush and his family. Word spread quickly, he said, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary initially.

It wasn’t until Dariush got back to his hotel room that he realized the gravity of the situation.

“It was so heartbreaking. I still don’t know how to process it exactly,” Dariush said. “I want to put it out of my mind, because I’m fighting Saturday. At the same, time I feel it’s almost selfish not to think about it. For me, if I walk inside the octagon, all I got to do is touch gloves, and it’s there. It’s natural. So, for me, not thinking about it just doesn’t feel right. I want to think about it. I want to know what is happening. I want to be more informed about it, and I want to help the families if I could.”

Heavyweight Fabricio Werdum, who’s from Brazil but is no stranger to Las Vegas, said he was playing roulette when he caught wind of what had happened.

“My friend called me. She said, “Fabricio, go to your room. A lot of people just died,'” he recalled. “I just went to my room, I stayed in my room, and I watched the news. I’m very sad for the families. Fifty-nine (people) died. It’s a lot. For sure, I am praying for the families, because this is a bad thing.”

As bad as it is, the hope among UFC 216 fighters is that the event serves as an escape to help this normally glowing city heal during a dark time.

Lee aims to give his adopted hometown a new champion to feel good about.

“Fighting is where I feel most alive,” Lee said. “I’m going to go out there, and I’m going to live. And I’m going to show the people what living really is. It’s going to be in the moment. It’s only going to be about that moment. And that’s how we’re going to live. It’s going to be a celebration.

“Saturday night will be a celebration for us and the city.”

For more on UFC 216, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.