The Ultimate Fighting Championship had to postpone its next three fight night events amid the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 6000 people around the world.
UFC head honcho,Dana White, penned a letter to his employees, confirming the cancellations of the mixed martial arts shows slated for March 21, March 28 and April 11.
Tyron Woodley was scheduled to return from a long hiatus this weekend to headline the March 21 fight card, which was originally set to take place at the O2 Arena in London.
Francis Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruik were booked for the main event of UFC Columbus on March 28 while Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris were set to headline the April 11 fight card in Portland.
The promotion did everything on its power to salvage the cards to no avail as sporting organizations in the world are experiencing major fallout due to the soaring coronavirus fears.
Meanwhile, the much-awaited UFC 249 pay-per-view event remains on schedule but is expected to be moved to a different venue as New York has the second most number of COVID-19 cases in the US.
Read the full text of Dana White’s letter to UFC employees below (via MMA Fighting):
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 sh*tty 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”
(Featured Image Source: Instagram/ Geek MMA)