Monday, May 9, 2011 | 4:30 p.m.
The cancellation of the UFC 130 lightweight championship fight between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard wasn’t the only injury-related news to come from the UFC Monday.
The other item was of the more positive variety. Lorenzo Fertitta, UFC chairman and CEO, announced a new insurance plan for the organization that will cover its roster of nearly 350 fighters.
For the first time ever, UFC fighters will now possess customized accident insurance coverage. That means the UFC will cover any injuries fighters sustain in training leading up to a bout. In the past, insurance only provided fighters with care for injuries that occurred on fight night.
Fertitta and UFC President Dana White announced the new plan to their employees today as part of the Fighter’s Summit in Las Vegas and alerted the media through a press release.
“Our athletes are some of the very best in the world and we’ve committed significant financial resources to provide them with insurance that complements the gold standard we have set for event-related coverage,” Fertitta said in a statement. “We’re pleased to provide coverage that enables our athletes to seek and receive treatment while preparing for bouts.”
White and Fertitta said they had worked on gathering training insurance for years, but it took persistence to get a company to insurance hundreds of mixed martial artists.
The plan, which is through Houston Casualty, provides medical, life and dental coverage. UFC will pay all the premiums.
“As this sport continues to grow, we have been working hard to secure additional insurance coverage so that our athletes can perform at the highest levels,” White said. “We’re proud to give our athletes this type of insurance.”
Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.
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