The UFC president vowed for weeks to maintain a regular schedule of fights as other sport organizations cancelled or postponed theirs amid the wuhanvirus pandemic.
The main event which is the fight between lightweight champion, Russia's Khabib Nurmagomedov and American Tony Ferguson, was originally due to take place in Brooklyn. Nurmagomedov who had to withdraw because of travel restrictions, was replaced with America's Justin Gaethje.
The venue was later scrapped, and a behind-closed-doors event was planned to take place in an empty arena owned by the Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Tachi Yokut Tribe in California.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom reportedly called UFC's broadcast partner Disney, to express his concerns with the event. Also senator Dianne Feinstein(D-CA) issued a statement urging UFC to reconsider its plan.
In a text to the Associated Press, White said he was told to "stand down" from holding UFC 249 on 18 April. “I was ready to go on Saturday, but Disney and ESPN asked me to step down... I love and respect my partnership with them so I postponed the event,” White wrote.
The UFC president speaking to ESPN, promised to keep his employees on the payroll. “Nobody is getting laid off at the UFC. Everybody is good,” he said.
White also reassured the fighters: "Don’t worry about the financial part of this. You’re going to get the fights on your contract, and I’m going to make things right with the people who were willing to step up and fight next weekend. I’m going to take care of as many people as I possibly can.”
He said he still plans to secure a private island to host international fights amid wuhanvirus lockdown. "Fight island's going to happen. All the infrastructure is being built right now and getting put in place...,"he said.
Hours before White's announcement of the postponement, former straw-weight champion Rose Namajunas dropped out of her co-main event bout after two deaths in her family related to the wuhanvirus pandemic.