12up Logo

Dana White Confirms All UFC Events Postponed Indefinitely Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

By Evan Wolff

UFC president Dana White's dream of putting on UFC 249 has finally been derailed by the coronavirus pandemic.
UFC president Dana White's dream of putting on UFC 249 has finally been derailed by the coronavirus pandemic. / Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Dana White tried his hardest to keep fights going during the coronavirus pandemic. From allegedly purchasing a private island to stage fights, to using a casino on native lands to get around government mandates, White used every loophole under the sun to keep UFC 249 going. In the end, he was powerless to stop the inevitable.

With just over a week until UFC 249 was scheduled to take place, it was officially announced that the event was cancelled, with no date of rescheduling immediately available. It was news that fights fans feared was coming, but had to happen in order to protect both the fighters and employees who would be working the event.

This will come as extremely disappointing news to fighters who were poised to earn a paycheck from the event, and to White, who has lost out on a massive financial opportunity. Eventually the decision was taken out of his hands, and instead the executives at ESPN finally had to step in and pull the plug on UFC 249.

With future UFC events now indefinitely cancelled as well, the organization becomes the latest sports league to become uncertain about when it will hold its next event due to the coronavirus.