UFC president Dana White was adamant about keeping his events up and running throughout the COVID-19 outbreak before ultimately postponing three events beginning in mid-March. Since then, he’s maintained the organization would hold UFC 249 despite other sports organizations continuing to halt normal business operations. That card appears to be at the finish line with Monday’s announcement of Tony Ferguson against Justin Gaethje in the main event emanating from an undisclosed location on April 18.

But UFC 249 is just the first step in White’s apparent master plan to keep his business thriving, telling TMZ Sports late Monday that he is “a day or two away” from closing a deal for a private island where he can hold fights during the coronavirus pandemic.

During the interview, White acknowledged he has the UFC 249 venue for two months, where he plans to host fights every week. From there, if he secures the private island, he’ll be able to host international fighters on private planes. White is guaranteeing that they’ll be tested for COVID-19 and the UFC will ensure fighters will be healthy coming into their bouts, but there will certainly be understandable questions about whether they can do so effectively.

Should White get clearance, this could open the door for some of the summer’s most anticipated fights, starting with Henry Cejudo’s scheduled return to the Octagon against Jose Aldo at UFC 250.

Here are your quick and dirty, editorial-free WWE Raw results for April 6, 2020. The Raw after WrestleMania featured a WrestleMania rematch for the Raw Tag Team Championship, a replay , and more. Make sure you’re here tomorrow for the complete Best and Worst of Raw column.

WWE Raw Results:

1. Asuka defeated Liv Morgan by submission with the Asuka Lock.

2. Raw Tag Team Championship Match: The Street Profits (c) defeated Angel Garza and Austin Theory by disqualification when Zelina Vega interfered. Like at WrestleMania, Vega and her team attacked Ford, and like at WrestleMania, Bianca Belair made the save. Belair, who is officially a Raw Superstar now, challenged Vega to a one-on-one match.

3. Bianca Belair vs. Zelina Vega was a No Contest (we think) when the teams at ringside started fighting again. Montez Ford suggested they have a six-person tag team match.

4. The Street Profits and Bianca Belair defeated Angel Garza, Austin Theory, and Zelina Vega. Belair pinned Vega after a KOD.

– In a post-match interview at WrestleMania, Bobby Lashley said he needed new management, or a “new wife.”

5. Aleister Black defeated Apollo Crews. Black won a long, competitive match with Black Mass.

6. Ricochet and Cedric Alexander defeated Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. Ricochet pinned Lorcan after hitting the Recoil, which is now TJP’s Detonation Kick.

7. Seth Rollins squashed Denzel Dejournette.

8. Nia Jax squashed Deonna Purrazzo. This was Jax’s return from injury. She finished off Purrazzo with Paige’s Rampaige DDT.

– Boneyard Match highlights!

9. Humberto Carrillo defeated Brendan Vink with a moonsault.

– In a post-match interview at WrestleMania (filmed in the ring, for some reason), Drew McIntyre thanked Paul Heyman for giving Brock Lesnar bad advice. He was interrupted by, of all people, the Big Show, who brought a referee with him. Show talked trash to McIntyre until he accepted a match, but McIntyre refused. Show slapped him, so he agreed. For the WWE Championship.

10. WWE Championship Match, at WrestleMania: Drew McIntyre (c) defeated The Big Show with a Claymore Kick.

With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, the folks at ESPN are airing a 16-player NBA 2K Tournament and the first match that was broadcast featured the No. 1 seed Kevin Durant taking on the No. 16 seed Derrick Jones Jr. on Friday evening. Ultimately, Jones Jr. emerged victorious by a breezy margin, but an interesting subplot has emerged from the otherwise harmless event.

Reuters brings word that offshore bookmakers were prompted to suspend betting action on the event before it was officially set to begin because, well, the matches were prerecorded and, with particular regard for the match between Durant and Jones Jr., results may have gotten out before the broadcast.

“It became clear that somebody knew something, and that the results had been leaked,” said David Strauss, head oddsmaker at MyBookie.ag. “That’s a nightmare scenario for us. When a result is compromised, we close the lines and look for the info ourselves.”

Once this information became clear to MyBookie.ag, SportsBetting.ag and others, action was suspended on the match. According to the Reuters report, it became obvious that something amiss, as Durant (the installed favorite) wasn’t getting much attention on the market against the much less famous Jones Jr.

It is important to recognize that these offshore outlets are not sanctioned to operate in the United States because, if they were, the option to make lines on this particular event would not have been available. Still, offshore sites are attempting to make their living on action that is otherwise strange, simply because there aren’t a lot of live sports to book at the moment.

In the grand scheme, this isn’t something that will greatly impact the handicapping world around the NBA because, again, this would not have been an event sanctioned to take action in legal books around the country. Still, it is something very interesting to note in that the tournament is ongoing and the majority of people likely assume that the games are taking place live, whether the goal is entertainment or a little bit of offshore betting action.

Entertainers, from musicians to late night hosts to celebrity chefs, have been thinking outside the box during this pandemic of ours, firing up their webcams and trying to keep us — and themselves — from going stir crazy. One of the more inventive — and kind — examples of this came from Matthew McConaughey. As per CBS News, the Oscar-winning thespian decided to treat a bevy of quarantined seniors to a game of bingo, hosted by him.

A number of residents at the nursing home known as the Enclave at Round Rock Senior Living, located in Round Rock, Texas, are no doubt, as most seniors, lonely and scared; those above 70 are most susceptible to the effects of Covid-19, and they’ve had to forego visits from guests and loved ones to stay safe. Back in September, members of the home’s Bingo group decided to invite the native Texan movie star to join one of their games. This time he was available, virally.

Video from the Bingo game was posted to the home’s Facebook page, which you can watch here, and it finds McConaughey — surrounded by his mom Kay, his wife Camila, and their kids — calling out numbers as every participant plays from the safety of their rooms. Winners got to ask the actor any question they liked.

McConaughey has been an outspoken advocate of social distancing and staying home. In mid-March he posted a video in which he pleaded for unity and hope, reminding us that “every red light eventually turns green.”

As per BuzzFeed, the end of their virtual Bingo home, the residents of Round Rock Senior Living thanked McConaughey by each holding up a green cards expressing their love for what he did.

(Via CBS News and BuzzFeed)

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Like many industries around the world, board game companies in particular are reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. While that may sound counter-intuitive given all the extra time people are spending at home, the issues many companies have stem from the supply chain interruptions that have come as the virus shuts down industries across the globe.

Kotaku’s Luke Plunkett had a particularly thorough explanation of the issues on Sunday, but the fact that many paper and plastic components of games come from China has severely limited the ability of some games to be released at all, and others are running low on copies as people look for distractions while they practice good social distancing and stay home. Online streaming games, like Jackbox and or Roll20-aided RPG campaigns have excelled in these moments, but traditional tabletop games have also tried their best to help people stay busy while they stay home.

Last week, Cards Against Humanity announced it was releasing a free-to-print “Family Edition” of the popular fill-in-the-blank card game known for its questionable humor.

The original CAH started as a print-at-home game well before its ubiquitous cards were available at big box stores, so this is a throwback of sorts. But the “Family Edition” is a printable beta that the company promises it’s safe for children and adults and has been thoroughly play-tested with kids in mind.

We’ve been working on it for over a year in consultation with child development experts and psychologists. Our plan was to surprise everyone with this in the fall, but we know a lot of families need something to do right now.

So today we’re posting a public beta of Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition for free, so you can print it at home and play it right now with your bored family. We’ll figure out how to make money on it later.

Other companies have also moved to release print-at-home versions of their games in an effort to keep gamers interested and trying new things. Asmodee, which makes games like Ticket To Ride, Settlers of Catan and Splendor, announced Monday that it would release six print-and-play versions of its games online as well.

Dixit in particular is a great play-at-home storytelling game for all ages, and the other Asmodee titles are a good mix of family and more advanced board games if you need something to keep kids occupied as well. It’s a great idea, and one that can keep interest in an entertainment industry that’s likely to experience some difficult periods as the effects of COVID-19 continue to impact industries around the world.

Dr. Sarfaraz Munshi, urgent care lead at Queen’s Hospital in London, has shared breathing exercises to help people struggling with COVID-19.

Doctor at Queens Hospital in the UK advises on potential lifesaving corona virus breathing technique

www.youtube.com

“Once you have an active infection you need to be getting a good amount of air into the base of your lungs,” the doctor says. “I want you guys to start doing this if you have the infection right from the beginning. If you want to do it before you have an infection, good idea.”

Here’s his simple, three-step technique.

1. Take five deep breaths in, each time holding the breath for five seconds.

2. On the sixth deep breath, take it in and do a big cough (cover your mouth, of course).

3. Do two cycles of the above and the lay flat on your front (on a bed, ideally) taking slightly deeper “normal” breaths for the next 10 minutes.

“You’ve got to understand the majority of your lung is on your back not on your front,” he adds. “So by laying on your back your closing off more of the smaller airways and this is not good during the period of infection.”

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Andrew Zimmern’s program What’s Eating America was filmed last summer, when the current COVID-19 pandemic would have been impossible to predict. And yet the subjects of his six-part series could not possibly be more timely.

“I feel like the issues that we documented back then have only become more critical,” says Zimmern from a self-imposed self-quarantine in Minnesota. “Our first five episodes were board survey pieces on topics like immigration and our healthcare system. These are stories that have tentacles that run deep into our daily lives, especially at this time.”

The palatable blend of vital information and Zimmern’s charismatic personality plus willingness for introspection makes What’s Eating America important and engaging viewing in this day and age. As a long-time television personality, Zimmern understands better than most the importance of balance in media consumption.

“There is certainly a lot of hard news that I think people should be making themselves aware of,” he says. “But you can only take in so much before it becomes overwhelming. That is why last night I watch Top Chef All-Stars and Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

Zimmern’s favorite way to spend a night indoors is the classic “dinner and a movie” combo, one that he perfected during his early days teaching cooking classes at Cooks of Crocus Hill in Saint Paul. That practice has since become a welcome salve for the constant stress of the day.

“Dinner and a movie is one of the best ways to bring other cultures into our homes,” the chef says.

We asked Zimmern to show us his version of the perfect night in, with a little horticulture on the side.

THE DISH

Creamy Lemon Pasta

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4 people

This is a recipe was inspired by the seaside town of Rivello in Italy. I am really proud of it. It is one of the most downloaded recipes at Food & Wine’s website and I know it is on my website as well. It comes up quick if you just Google “Andrew Zimmern lemon pasta.”

It’s bright, citrusy, creamy, and delicious. It is tried and true. -AZ

THE MOVIE

The Big Night (buy on Amazon or watch free on Tubi)

This is one of my favorite food movies. – AZ

Synopsis: Chef Primo (Tony Shalhoub) and businessman Secondo (Stanley Tucci) are immigrant brothers from Italy who open their dream restaurant, Paradise, in New Jersey. However, Primo’s authentic food is too unfamiliar for the local tastes, and the restaurant struggles. When famous Italian-American bandleader Louis Prima is scheduled to appear at Paradise, the two brothers put all of their efforts into the important meal, which will likely decide the very fate of their restaurant.

For more food movies check out “The Best Food Movies on Netflix Right Now.”

THE ACTIVITY

Grow Your Own Cherry Tomatoes (find seeds here)

I still have my grand grandmother’s Victory Garden pin for growing so much food during World War II. Let’s get people growing food again if they have the space, and lose the absolutely dependence on the grocery store. I hope this can be a silver lining of the shutdown.

I have had a lot of friends asking me what they should be growing. I say right away, “Don’t grow watermelons.” What I mean by that is don’t pick a challenging vegetable or fruit to grow, pick something that will have a high yield no matter your skillset.

Cherry tomatoes are constantly growing, you could get two or three crops off of them. Pick them off and add them to a nice side salad with your lemon pasta, you can feel an extra sense of accomplishment with the meal. – AZ

Check out full episodes of What’s Eating America on the MSNBC website. Check out Andrew Zimmern’s recent interview on the Great Adventures podcast here.

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