National Post (National Edition)
UFC postpones events, closes headquarters
CORONAVIRUS
After saying publicly two days earlier that no scheduled fights would be postponed or cancelled because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, UFC president Dana White reportedly told staff Monday that the next three events would be moved to later, undetermined dates.
In an internal company email sent Monday, White reportedly revealed that events originally set for London, Columbus, Ohio, and Portland, Ore., would all be indefinitely postponed with the increased difficulty in finding cities that could safely handle large crowds.
“The next three events — London, Columbus, and Portland — will be postponed,” White wrote, per the copy of the email obtained by MMA Junkie and ESPN. com. “UFC 249 is still scheduled as planned, but the location may change. We’ll keep you posted.”
The announcement marks a major change of course for the UFC and White, as he had been vehement in his intentions to avoid alterations to their calendar. The UFC 249 card planned for Brooklyn, N.Y., is still on with a possible location change.
“We did everything we could to relocate our next three events — London, Columbus, and Portland,” White wrote. “But every day, there are new restrictions put in place on travel and large public gatherings that are making it impossible to stay on schedule. We can’t even hold an event in Vegas, our hometown, because there’s a ban on all combat sports events in Nevada until at least March 25.”
The UFC also reportedly closed its Las Vegas headquarters on Monday.
Following Charles Oliveira’s submission victory over Kevin Lee at UFC Fight Night 170 in Brazil on Saturday night, White told ESPN that the next Fight Night, headlined by welterweights Tyron Woodley and Leon Edwards, would happen, but that it would be moved from London due to U.S. travel restrictions.
UFC then planned to have the fight — and other upcoming events — at its Apex facility in Las Vegas, but that was before the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s vote Saturday to ban all combat sports events in the state through at least March 25. California announced a similar ban on Thursday.
Saturday’s fight in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, was held in an empty stadium, with fans absent due to concerns about the virus.
Virtually every other major sports organization in the United States has shut down due to coronavirus concerns, with in-season professional leagues suspending play and the NCAA cancelling a swath of events, including the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.