No UFC 249? No Paycheck From ESPN!

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White, who first and foremost is a combat sports promoter, gave a pretty good speech on Monday in his conversation with ESPN, which just so happens to be the same network that pays him for content.

“Right now, we need leadership,” White insisted. “We need people who are going to go out and find solutions. Hiding in your house is not an answer. You keep people in their houses for too long without entertainment, people are going to start losing their minds.”

And their paychecks.

The most likely destination for UFC 249 is Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, Calif., part of the Santa Rosa Indian Community. International events will be held on a yet-to-be revealed island in May, one that allows overseas fighters to avoid stateside travel restrictions.

With UFC 250 also losing its home to coronavirus, expect the promotion to remain with Tachi Palace and “Fight Island” for the foreseeable future. The show must go on, but more for the struggling Endeavor — parent company of UFC — than for MMA fans or fighters.