Commission stops UFC 249 from happening in New York

Khabib Nurmagomedov-Tony Ferguson won't be happening in its original location.

The New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) said Wednesday that the coronavirus pandemic will stop UFC 249 from taking place as scheduled in Brooklyn on April 18.

"Out of an abundance of caution and in line with recent guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and New York State, the New York State Athletic Commission informed the UFC that UFC 249 cannot be held in New York," the commission wrote in a statement sent to The New York Times.

On Wednesday evening, the UFC announced the event will not be held in Brooklyn and said it's planning to move forward with the card in April.

On Monday, the UFC postponed its next three events - March 21 in London, March 28 in Columbus, and April 11 in Portland - due to the outbreak. It did not immediately postpone UFC 249.

"We're hoping that this all clears up by April," UFC president Dana White told ESPN's SportsCenter on Monday. "(Nurmagomedov-Ferguson) is gonna happen. No crowd - whatever it takes. Probably not even gonna be in the United States, but this fight's gonna happen."

White hinted as early as last week that the pay-per-view card was unlikely to happen in Brooklyn or the promotion's hometown of Las Vegas. The Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) banned combat sports events in the state until March 25.