UFC 249 Postponed Upon ESPN Request Amid Coronavirus Pandemic – Variety
Blended martial arts league UFC, a subsidiary of Endeavor, has determined to postpone UFC 249, initially scheduled for April 18, after sports activities cabler ESPN requested the group to not go ahead with its pay-per-view occasion.
“Whereas the group was absolutely ready to proceed with UFC 249, ESPN has requested the postponement of the occasion and subsequent bouts till additional discover in mild of the COVID-19 pandemic,” introduced UFC on Thursday in a quick assertion. “UFC appears to be like ahead to resuming the total reside occasions schedule as quickly as potential.”
ESPN didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. UFC president Dana White informed ESPN mentioned that it had been a “battle since Day 1” that he had been “combating nonstop, all day and all night time since this pandemic began to placed on this occasion on April 18.”
“At present, we bought a name from the very best degree you’ll be able to go at Disney, and the very best degree at ESPN … and the powers that be there requested me to face down and never do that occasion on Saturday,” White informed ESPN in an interview on Thursday.
Most firms internet hosting reside occasions in April have lengthy since canceled or postponed their plans. There have so far been 427,460 confirmed instances of COVID-19 and 14,696 deaths within the U.S., in keeping with the Facilities for Illness Management.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California had earlier within the day issued a press release calling for the occasion to be delayed, expressing that she was “involved” by reviews that UFC had meant to carry the struggle “in defiance of the state’s shelter-in-place order.”
“This occasion would contain dozens of people flying to California and driving to a on line casinofor a goal nobody can truthfully declare is important,” mentioned Feinstein. “I perceive this occasion is scheduled to happen on tribal land and subsequently shouldn’t be topic to state legislation. Nonetheless, at greatest this occasion ties up medical assets and sends a message that shelter-in-place orders will be flouted. At worst, members and assist employees might carry the virus again to their dwelling communities and improve its unfold. I name on Final Combating Championship and the Tachi-Yokut Tribe to rethink this occasion and delay it till a later date. We’ve got to be accountable and conscious of all native, state and federal public well being pointers. Going forward with this occasion shouldn’t be the correct transfer.”
White informed ESPN that the occasion had been scheduled to happen at Tachi Palace On line casinoResort in Lemoore, Calif. and that the corporate has “had [UFC’s] again this complete time, has stood their floor and was keen to do that struggle.” White mentioned that when reside occasions resumed, he would maintain the occasion at Tachi Palace. He additionally, within the on-camera interview, assured his fighters that they’d get to take part within the fights promised of their contracts.