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Dana White forced to cancel his mysterious, controversial, and behind-closed-doors UFC 249 event because of the coronavirus

Dana White forced to cancel his mysterious, controversial, and behind-closed-doors UFC 249 event because of the coronavirus

Alan Dawson

Dana White has been forced to cancel UFC 249.
The UFC president said he got a phone call from the "powers-that-be" at Disney and ESPN who ordered him to pull the plug on the April 18 event.
Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje were scheduled to fight for the interim lightweight championship. There were at least 10 other fights on the card.
But White has had to pull the plug on the entire thing, putting UFC on a coronavirus-enforced hiatus along with the NBA, the English Premier League, and the 2020 Olympic Games.
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Dana White has been forced to cancel his mysterious, controversial, and behind-closed-doors UFC 249 event because of the coronavirus.

The UFC president told ESPN's Brett Okamato that he got a phone call from "the powers-that-be" at Disney and ESPN, which is White's main broadcast partner in the US, telling him not to go ahead with the April 18 extravaganza.

White had 11 fights confirmed, with an interim lightweight championship between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje headlining the show.

To circumvent governmental restrictions on distancing and lockdowns, White was prepared to take his show to Native American land at the Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Fresno, California, but he has now had to nix the entire thing.

"Today, we got a call from the highest level you can go at Disney and the highest level at ESPN ... the powers-that-be there asked me to stand down and not do this event on Saturday," White said Thursday.

White had hired the Tachi Palace Casino for a two-month period and had said earlier this week that he was finalizing a deal to lease an entire island for his international events.

The UFC, now, along with the NBA, the English Premier League, and the 2020 Olympic Games, is on a coronavirus-enforced hiatus.

In a statement, the UFC said: "While the organization was fully prepared to proceed with UFC 249, ESPN has requested the postponement of the event and subsequent bouts until further notice in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"UFC looks forward to resuming the full live events schedule as soon as possible."

White has faced relentless scrutiny for his insistence at hosting UFC 249 in the middle of a pandemic.

The Association of Ringside Physicians advised "the indefinite suspension of all combat sports events," the veteran boxing promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank said White should be "ashamed" of himself, and MMA media called White "the poster boy for corporate greed," which he denied.

Earlier on Thursday, Kevin Iole, the combat sport columnist for Yahoo Sports, tweeted a statement from California senator Dianne Feinstein.

Feinstein expressed concern at the UFC's plans to hold an event in her state. "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.

"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."