Even though last month he insisted it would happen and despite UFC president Dana White’s best efforts to ensure he fight would remain as scheduled, he told ESPN that it would in fact be postponed.
What’s Happening:
- UFC 249 will not proceed on April 18, UFC president Dana White told ESPN's Brett Okamoto on Thursday. UFC 249 was scheduled to air on ESPN+. ESPN has a five-year contract as the exclusive home of UFC fights on its networks and pay-per-view services.
- White also said all other UFC events have been postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- Earlier, White told ESPN he had secured a location in the U.S. to host weekly fights for at least the next two months, telling ESPN on Thursday that he was "ready to go" at the Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, California — near Fresno.
- The California State Athletic Commission had cancelled all combat sporting events through May 31, but because the Tachi Palace Casino Resort is situated on tribal lands, the ban did not apply. The casino also did not have to follow an executive "stay at home" order by the state. Though UFC 249 is postponed, White said he will bring a big fight to the Tachi Palace Casino Resort in the future
- The pay-per-view event was to be headlined by an interim lightweight title fight involving Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje. A likely heavyweight title eliminator between Francis Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruik also was on the 12-fight card. The co-main event between former UFC women's strawweight champion Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade already had been called off after Namajunas withdrew due to two coronavirus-related deaths in her family.
- Before UFC 249 was called off, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released a statement Thursday saying she was "concerned" about the event taking place at the casino.
- In addition to the U.S. site, White said earlier this week that he had secured a private island, where he could conceivably book fights for international athletes who can't come into the United States.
- White remains adamant he will be the first sports organization back in business.
- UFC 249 was supposed to feature undefeated lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov against Ferguson. However, Nurmagomedov was removed from the event when it became clear he would have trouble leaving his native Dagestan and reentering the U.S., where he had held some of his camp. The event originally had been booked for Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Earlier, The UFC was forced to postpone three events, on March 21, March 28 and April 11, because of the coronavirus.
What They’re Saying:
- UFC President Dana White: "Today, we got a call from the highest level you can go at Disney, and the highest level at ESPN … and the powers that be there asked me to stand down and not do this event on Saturday. It's been a battle since day one. We've been fighting non-stop all day and all night, since this pandemic started, to put on this event on April 18th…Tachi Palace in California, the Indian reservation, has had our back this whole time, has stood their ground, and was willing to do this fight. And let me tell you this: When the world gets back to normal, California, that [fight] will be at Tachi Palace…It's all good. We're going to get through this. We'll be the first ones back. Fight Island is coming, all the good stuff. It's coming, man. We'll get this thing squared away, get a date from ESPN, and we'll be back first and we'll get these fights going that everybody wants to see."
- CA Senator Dianne Feinstein: "This event would involve dozens of individuals flying to California and driving to a casino for a purpose no one can honestly claim is essential, 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."