This weekend’s UFC event, as well as 3/28
and 4/11, have been indefinitely postponed per an email from Dana
White to all UFC employees. #UFC— Michael Carroll (@MJCflipdascript)
March 16, 2020
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has finally been forced to back
down in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Las Vegas-based promotion has elected to indefinitely postpone
its next three events – UFC Fight Night 171 on March 21, UFC on
ESPN 8 on March 28 and UFC Fight Night 172 on April 11 – the United
States and the rest of the world race to battle the coronavirus
outbreak. UFC president Dana White revealed the decision in an
email to company employees, which was initially
revealed by statistician Michael
Carroll. At the moment, UFC 249 is still scheduled for April
18, though a location and venue have yet to be determined.
The contents of the message (per
MMAjunkie.com ) is as follows:
My Crew
This has been a crazy couple of weeks.We’ve been doing everything
possible to stick to our live events schedule because the fighters
want to fight, our employees want to work, and the fans want to
watch our sport.So many people have reached out over the past few
days to say thanks for not canceling our Brasilia event on
Saturday.
When weird things happen in the world, or when there’s a tragedy,
like the October 1 shooting, people want things to get back to
normal, and nothing feels more normal than watching sports.
We did everything we could to relocate our next three events–
London, Columbus, and Portland. 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 home town, because there’s a ban on all
combat sports events in Nevada until at least March 25.
As you heard me say, I’ve been in the fight game for 20 years, and
this is what we do—we find a way to keep our events going no matter
what. If fighters miss weight, if fighters get hurt, or if states
won’t regulate us, we figure out a way. But this is different. The
whole world is being affected right now, and nothing is more
important than the health and safety of you and your families.
That’s why we are closing all UFC offices effective immediately,
including HQ in Vegas, through at least March 31st, and asking all
employees to work from home. The PI will also be closed to all
personnel, including athletes, during this time. The next three
events– London, Columbus, and Portland—will be postponed. UFC 249
is still scheduled as planned, but the location may change. We’ll
keep you posted.
I tell you guys all the time, you are the BEST TO EVER DO IT. It
feels shitty now, but WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS, and we’ll be
TOUGHER, STRONGER, AND MORE BADASS than before.Right now, the
number one priority is to take care of yourselves and your
family.
Finally, I want you to know that UFC has your back. If you or any
member of your family is showing symptoms of coronavirus and you’re
having trouble getting to a doctor, please reach out to me,
Lawrence, or Hunter.
Thanks,
Dana
As recently as Saturday night,
White was adamant that the UFC would move forward with upcoming
events. UFC Fight Night 170, originally scheduled for London, was
to be relocated in the United States. UFC on ESPN, slated for
Columbus, Ohio, and UFC Fight Night 171, set for Portland, Ore.,
were to be moved to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. However, as White
said, the Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended all combat
sports in the state until a March 25 meeting.
Virtually every major sports organization has shut down operations
for the time being, and now the UFC will follow suit. On March 14,
the promotion was essentially the only major athletic event
happening as it held UFC Fight Night 170 in Brasilia, Brazil, with
no spectators in attendance.
