Jeff Bottari/Getty Images UFC 249 and all future events are postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
UFC President Dana White told ESPN's Brett Okamoto the company was prepared to stage UFC 249 on April 18, "but things were taken out of his control."
ESPN MMA shared more of White's comments. He said he received calls from officials at Disney and ESPN to "stand down":
The UFC had encountered a number of hurdles to keep UFC 249 on track.
The New York State Athletic Commission forced a venue change when it refused to grant the company permission to use Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Then Khabib Nurmagomedov confirmed he was pulling out of his main-event fight with Tony Ferguson, citing health and safety concerns. White announced Monday that Justin Gaethje would be taking Nurmagomedov's place.
Another setback arrived Thursday. Brian Butler-Au, the manager for Rose Namajunas, announced she was withdrawing from the pay-per-view after two of her family members died from circumstances related to the coronavirus.
The UFC had yet to announce a new location for UFC 249, but the New York Times' Kevin Draper reported the company was targeting Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, California. Draper noted that operating the event on tribal land allowed UFC to avoid going through the California State Athletic Commission or adhere to California's statewide stay-at-home order.
California Sen. Dianne Feinstein issued a statement asking for UFC 249 to be postponed:
"I understand this event is scheduled to take place on tribal land and therefore is not subject to state law. However, at best this event ties up medical resources and sends a message that shelter-in-place orders can be flouted. At worst, participants and support staff could carry the virus back to their home communities and increase its spread."Immediately following UFC 249, White had even bigger plans to keep the action in the Octagon ongoing.
"I've also secured an island. I've got an island," he said, per ESPN's Marc Raimondi. "The infrastructure is being built right now. We're going to do all of our international fights on this island."
White reiterated to Okamoto on Thursday that "fight island is real" and it's "really gonna happen."
UFC Fight Night 170 is the most recent completed card. The show happened March 14 in an empty Nilson Nelson Gymnasium in Brasilia, Brazil.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
