UFC 249 CANCELED, all events under promotion postponed INDEFINITELY due to Covid-19 - Dana White

The UFC 249 event headlined by the lightweight title fight between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje has been canceled and all future bouts under the promotion suspended, president Dana White announced Thursday.

READ MORE: UFC 249 to take place on TRIBAL LAND in California to circumvent lockdown laws - reports

White said in a video interview that he made the decision after being asked by ESPN to stand down, having earlier been determined to push through with the event.

Breaking the news for the broadcaster was Brett Okamoto, who spoke to the White and reported that the promotion chief said he was "ready to promote the event but things were taken out of his control."

The UFC had settled on the Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemore, California, as a host venue in a last ditch attempt to make the event happen.

Due to the resort being situated on tribal land belonging to the Tachi-Yokut Tribe it would have allowed the UFC to bypass a ban by the California State Athletic Commission on combat sports events due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Nevertheless, White was forced to bow to requests from ESPN, but vowed to be the "first sport back" after the global pandemic, urging his fighters not to be unsettled about potential financial repercussions of the decision.