The welterweight fight between Tyron Woodley and Leon Edwards will not happen after the Ultimate Fighting Championship moved its upcoming fight night event to United States due to coronavirus outbreak.
The promotion is set to return to London this weekend for the UFC on ESPN+ 29, with Edwards and Woodley clashing in the headliner with a potential title shot up for grabs.
However, due to travel restrictions imposed by the US government, the UFC has decided to cancel the fight card that was set to take place at the O2 Arena.
An email sent to MMA managers on Sunday stated: “Because we are moving this event to the U.S. next weekend, there will be a number of open spots on that card.”
“If you have anyone currently under UFC contract, from bantamweight to welterweight, who wants a short notice fight, please let me know. If you have any UFC vets or fighters ready for UFC on a week’s notice, please let me know. DO NOT email me about anyone who is not a US CITIZEN or does not have A CURRENT P1 VISA.”
Truly Heartbreaking
Edwards, who is currently on an eight-fight winning streak, has issued a statement on the cancellation, saying it was ‘truly heartbreaking’ to lose the opportunity to headline a UFC show in front of the home fans.
“Last night I went to sleep still with some hope that UFC London would continue next week. I woke up this morning to the news that it won’t be. We have been working with the UFC on possible solutions to keep the fight alive, but unfortunately with such a short window of time, nothing was viable.”
“Myself and my team are all fathers, husbands, sons and brothers, and not all of us can leave our families right now. I wish we could have found a way for the fans, I truly do.”
“I have been dreaming of headlining a UFC show in my home country since I started this sport. This cancellation is truly heartbreaking. I have never worked harder and never been more prepared for the biggest moment in my career. But I know that the whole world is hurting right now and this is bigger than me, this is bigger than sports.”
“All I can hope for is that all of you stay safe and look after each other as we get past this and move forward,” Edwards continued.
“I am humbled by the thousands of messages of support I have received in the hours since the announcement, I truly appreciate you all and feel a lot of love right now. I look forward to this event being rebooked when it is safe to do so, so Tyron and I can put on the show that you all deserve. Please take care, we will all get through is,” Edwards ended.
(Featured Image Source: Instagram/ Leon Edwards and Tyron Woodley)