The following events in this thread occur on Wednesday, March 18th, 2020 so no references or statements should be made on social media regarding this event until March 18th, 2020.
The press conference in Ireland took on a rather sad and somber mood. It was quiet with an isolated undertone before Mr. Khan walked to his seat at the press conference without security personale escorting him. In the audience sat on a few selected and pre-screened interviewers who sat further away from the fighters in attendance.
Mr. Khan: Thank you to everyone for attending our media session today and for your co-operation with our sanitary protocols. The health and well being of our fans, friends and fighters are to the upmost importance to me and the GCC organization.
Mr. Khan, you've decided to go ahead with the initial plans for the Ireland card... why?
Mr. Khan: It was important me to take the advice and guidance of the health professionals who suggested that at this stage in the spread of the virus, we and our fans are reasonably safe in holding the event on Friday. We have adjusted plans for our shows moving beyond March 20th, per their advice.
Many organizations and promotions are still going to be holding their events in front of live crowds, how do you feel about that?
Mr. Khan: I cannot speak for anyone else but I feel that as global citizens we have a duty to protect each other. As devastating as these changes are to our financial bottom lines, this is much bigger than quarterly revenue or even MMA itself. I believe that holding our shows without audiences is the only responsible thing to do in my position. I do hope that as a result of these other promoters decisions, people aren't hurt by these decisions in the long run. In the end, I do believe in personal responsibility and thus I would desperately urge fans to not attend shows in public settings and instead stay home and watch it from the comfort of their sofas until this thing blows over.
Was cancelling the event ever on the table?
Mr. Khan: Absolutely not. In times like these, entertainment is important and provides an escape no matter how short it maybe and I think that's valuable. Our fighters will all be screened before and after the event as well as the normal drug testing procedures, so I am confident in our ability to keep our fighters reasonably safe.
What do you think about the lead up to the fight? We've heard virtually nothing from either of the fight camps.
Mr. Khan: I think at this point we know what to expect from Erik and Alejandro. They are two hardworking, humble fighters who just put their noise to the dirt and embrace the grind day in and night out. I know their approach is old school and doesn't exactly stand out on social media or bring brand new eyes to the sport but there's a time for place for everything and one thing we do have on our hands is an AMAZING fight with two of the best heavyweight fighters in the world.
Who do you think has the edge in the fight between Erik Malkasian and Alejandro Rivera?
Mr. Khan: In my experience when you have a grappler vs. striker match up history shows that it tends to favor the grappler more often than not. That said, Alejandro turned a lot of heads in his last bout against Tommy when he showed that he was no slouch on the ground and surprised of not overwhelmed Tommy Ward with his wrestling. I do think that needs to be taken into consideration although Erik Malkasian has had plenty of time to rest and prepare for this fight having not fought since November of last year.
Where does the GCC go from here?
Mr. Khan: Our next event will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark on April 3rd at GCC 7: Galanos vs. DeMeans. In a few weeks me and my partners will sit out and discuss how we need to proceed in the short term. We are looking of moving all events for the foreseeable future to Abu Dhabi stadiums in the event fans are not able to be in attendance.
How will the GCC handle media going forward?
Mr. Khan: This will be the last GCC press conference for the foreseeable future as a precaution. Our fighters will be answering media questions over the phone in a new press call-conference format in the lead up to our future events.
With that, Mr. Khan respectfully bowed his head and no further statements were issued by the GCC President.
Press Conference High Lights
Aleksandr Baranov
''Ronan, like me, excels in the striking game. There is very good chance this fight ends within first round, and I hope Ronan is not getting any ideas of grandeur that he will walk away from this fight victorious. If he lose to Ross Hanson, he WILL lose to me. My fists will make damn sure of that.''
Christian Ibanez
''No more being nice, I'm looking to take people out and make statements. I should be a champion by now. I want my shot.''
Sigurd Bjarnasson
''"I'm pretty sure I can take quite a few punches before he's on the ground. Don't judge me by my last fight."
Tim McCarthy
''Tristan McPeak is probably the toughest guy in the division, no questions asked. He has a great chin, is tough as nails and has proven to have enough heart to withstand just about anything in terms of damage. Tristan... if his skills ever catch up to his ability to withstand damage, I think the entire division has something to seriously worry about. Until then, I think he's in over his head. I'll do what I do and he'll do what he does and thus he will be taking the ass whopping I am giving.''
Erik Malkasian
"Well, anything can happen, right? But you won't see me doing anything particularly new. I'm the most boring fighter in the GCC" - Erik winks. "But whatever I do, I'll do it better. Rivera better come prepared.''