MMA Fighting - MMA News Update | March 16, 2020

Episode Date: March 17, 2020

Amid the chaos surrounding the #coronavirus, our own Esther Lin provides fans an update on all of the recent changes to the previously scheduled UFC, Bellator and Cage Warriors fight cards. Follow Esther Linn: @allelbows Subscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgH Check out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLi Visit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvM Like MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z Follow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUI Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network. It's the evening of March 16th, 2020. This is Esther Lynn for MMAfighting.com. Here is an update on how the coronavirus, COVID-19, is impacting UFC, Bellator, and other MMA events. In a letter from UFC President Dana White to UFC employees, the following events are postponed. UFC London, which was expected to happen on March 21st at the O2 Arena, has a lot of officially been postponed. The event was to be headlined by Tyron Woodley versus Leon Edwards.

The UFC's attempts to rebook Woodley against Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns or Raphael Dosangos at a stateside location have been unsuccessful. Also, UFC on ESPNA and Gano versus Rosenstruck, originally scheduled for March 28th in Columbus, Ohio, has been postponed. Due to government restrictions on air travel, gathering, and other businesses, the UFC it was impossible to have the event take place in Ohio. Attempts were made to move the events to the UFC Apex Center in Las Vegas, but there is a ban on combat sports in the state of Nevada until March 25th at the earliest, likely longer. Nevada has revoked all combat sporting events licenses until their meeting on March 25th,

at which point they will make another decision on future events being held in the state. UFC on ESPN Plus 30, Overeem v. Harris, on April 11th in Portland, Oregon has also been postponed. As of now, no dates or venues have been announced for the three postponed events. In other news, Dana White appeared on ESPN Sports Center today and said that UFC 249 Hube v. Ferguson is still on as of now. White said he will do, quote, whatever it takes to make the fight happen. White also noted UFC 249 will likely to be. take place outside of the United States. UFC 249 was expected to go down on April 18th at the

Barclay Center in Brooklyn, New York. It is unclear if the whole card is moving or just certain fights. Dana White also noted that the UFC Performance Institute and the UFC offices are closed until March 31st. And other promotions, after the cancellation of Bellator 241, Pitbull v. Cavalio, last Friday, just hours before the fights were to begin, it's been reported by the fighters on the card that they were paid despite the event being cancelled. Bellator, Well to Weight Paul Daly commented on his Instagram. Thank you, Bellator, for the way they've handled the cancellation of Bellator 241 here at the Mohegan Sun. They're doing the right thing in the face of a global pandemic.

Taking care of us fighters. Right now, we must all do our part to help defeat this virus. There is no word yet if Bellator's next card on May 9th in San Francisco. Jose will go on. The card has Ryan Bader defending his light heavyweight championship belt against Vadim Nemcoff and Gagar Musasi facing welterweight champ Douglas Lima for the vacant middleweight championship belt. Cage Warriors President Graham Boylan announced on Monday that the event has been moved from London to Manchester after event producer AEG closed the O2 venue that was scheduled to host. Cage Warriors 113 is now scheduled to take place closed to the public at the beach.

BEC Arena in Manchester this Friday. Legacy Fighting Alliance or LFA has announced that it will postpone all of its upcoming shows through April as the coronavirus outbreak continues to sweep across the United States. And lastly, Max Holloway posted a poignant statement on Instagram. Here are a few excerpts. I don't think there's a doc out there who would say COVID-19 is more dangerous than fighting for a living. I'm not afraid of it, to be honest. It's like the flu but ten times more deadly. So what? I put myself in more danger every day.

So for anybody else who feels that way, I agree. But I also learned it's not about me. I can carry it. I could have no symptoms like Donovan Mitchell. Then I can give it to my grandma. And maybe she doesn't beat it. Then what? All my UFC title belts ain't going to make me tough enough

to deal with that responsibility. Hawaii doesn't have that many hospital beds. If just a few hundred elderly need to be in the ICU for treatment, then what? I don't know. Nobody does, and we don't want to find out. This isn't about most of us who could get it and beat it. It's about the people who won't beat it, so we got to make sure we do our part to protect them.

Take the social distancing seriously. Pretend you already have it. Distance yourself to protect others and yourself. This isn't practice. This is a fight. You guys know me. I love to take fights into deep waters. This isn't one we want to take into deep waters.

The quicker we can slow the spread, the quicker we get back to normal. Stay tuned to MMA fighting for more updates in the world of mixed martial arts as they come in. Thank you.