UFC 249 Finally Canceled After Dana White Told to “Stand Down” by ESPN, Disney

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FILE - In this Sept. 19, 2019, file photo, UFC President Dana White speaks at a news conference in New York. UFC 249 has been canceled after ESPN and parent company Disney stopped White's plan to keep fighting amid the coronavirus pandemic. After defiantly vowing for weeks to maintain a regular schedule of fights, White announced the decision to cease competition Thursday, April 9, on ESPN, the UFC's broadcast partner. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan, File)

Up until April 9th, UFC 249 was still planned for April 18th despite the current pandemic. Dana White, president of the UFC, has been fighting to keep the event open and happening despite the original location being set for New York City. He has mentioned having the fight on a private island in order to maintain security, but has just announced that this fight, and all other UFC events, are postponed until further notice. A spokesperson for UFC stated, “While the organization was fully prepared to proceed with UFC 249, ESPN has requested the postponement of the event and subsequent bouts until further notice in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

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