The last big sporting event to remain scheduled during the coronavirus pandemic has been called off by top executives at ESPN’s parent company Disney.
UFC President Dana White said top executives at Disney asked him to cancel UFC 249 featuring Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje, which was planned for April 18 at the temporarily closed Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Leemore, California.
“Today, we got a call from the highest level you can go at Disney and the highest level of ESPN … and the powers that be there asked me to stand down and not do this event next Saturday,” White said during a taped ESPN interview on Thursday.
UFC President Dana White spoke to Brett Okamoto about #UFC249 no longer taking place on April 18.
(via @bokamotoESPN) pic.twitter.com/VRP5jL3k9J
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 9, 2020
The drama over whether UFC 249 would go ahead has caught the imagination of sports fans and journalists hungry for the fight after a wave of cancellations left the sporting world on pause. White said he intends to hold weekly fights on a private island beginning in late April.
White thanked the Tachi Palace for providing the UFC with a space to hold the fight and promised that the next big fight in California will be held at the casino as a show of gratitude.
“This whole thing has been a battle since the Day 1,” White added. “All of my fighters that are under contract with me: I want them to feel safe. Take time with your families, and, you know, enjoy this time. Don’t worry about the financial part of this. You’re going to get the fights on your contract.”
Though UFC 249 appeared ready to go ahead, California Gov. Gavin Newsom reportedly called executives at Disney and ESPN a week before the prizefight, instructing the companies to cancel the event over concerns about the coronavirus.
“ESPN has been in constant contact with the UFC regarding UFC 249,” a spokesman for ESPN told the Washington Post. “Nobody wants to see sports return more than we do, but we didn’t feel this was the right time for a variety of reasons. ESPN expressed its concerns to the UFC, and they understood.”
