UFC president Dana White confirmed that UFC 249 will go ahead but the next three events are off
The UFC has had to postpone their next three events with Dana White coming out and explaining his reason to do so.
White had been adamant that UFC fights would go on and confirmed that this weekend’s event was set.
He was speaking to ESPN and said that they had a card ready, a location set but US president Donald Trump’s latest order has affected that.
The president’s new order has barred more than 10 people being in a room and the earlier order was not having more than 50.
White added that working in the previous order was difficult but they got the UFC Brasil event done, however, it was impossible to hold matches now.
The UFC president added that the Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson fight at UFC 249 was still on, but it could take place in another location.
White was also asked why they were keeping events on in such a tough time, and he claimed that the UFC wants to hold fights.
The fighters want to get into the Octagon, and the UFC seems to be biting a little more than it can chew regarding the Khabib vs Ferguson fight.
No guarantee on when things will die down
White had barred fans from attending UFC fights and was refunding tickets, which was the right thing to do.
However, confirming that the April fight between Khabib and Ferguson is still on is a bit of a risky strategy.
The president knows he has to keep people interested, especially since events cannot take place for a few weeks.
However, predicting that the fight will go ahead, even possibly outside the US, is a big statement to make.
The worst would be having to back down from this as nobody knows how the pandemic will impact the world in the coming months.
Some regions are recovering better than others, but it is a Pandora’s box regarding some big countries like the US or England.
Measures have been put in countries such as Spain and Italy where people aren’t being allowed to leave homes.
It would have been best to keep all events on hold and not predict when matches can take place.
Several UFC stars have suggested that they are willing to fight. However, not having the right personnel in the arenas would be a disaster.
A fight can happen with 10 ppl in the room. It’s one of the few sports that can do this at the professional level. I’m with @danawhite on this all day. Let us get paid and entertain you.
— Justin Gaethje 🇺🇸 (@Justin_Gaethje) March 17, 2020
I’m sorry to hear of the recent postponement of the next three UFC events, including my fight on March 28. I look forward to working with the @ufc and @danawhite on a replacement date and location. Until then, everyone stay safe as best they can. Hope to see you soon. pic.twitter.com/LAIurybFBI
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) March 17, 2020
I can assure you the fighters scheduled to compete on these postponed cards are devastated. Not because they can’t compete but because of the potential lost income. So while we don’t truly know the UFC’s motives for forging on, every fighter I spoke to was thankful/hopeful.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 16, 2020
White must have something up his sleeve
For all the criticism of White, we must remember he is one of the greatest businessmen of our times.
He turned the UFC into a multi-billion dollar promotion, and it keeps on growing each year. The boss would have a contingency plan if things don’t improve in a month.
However, it is important to keep people safe during this time. Thankfully, his decision to stop events for three weeks is a step in the right direction.
Everyone in the MMA world wants to see Khabib vs Ferguson. However, any decision regarding their fight should be taken in April and predicting something now is a little risky, to say the least.
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