UFC 249 still planned for April 18

While President Trump and medical officials warn the United States is heading into its toughest two-week stretch of the coronavirus pandemic, the UFC has been working to make sure its April 18 UFC 249 card takes place.

And UFC President Dana White tweeted Monday the card will still happen “somewhere on Earth,” but with a main-event change.

Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was slated to meet Tony Ferguson in the main event, but he can’t get out of his country because of coronavirus travel restrictions. So instead, Justin Gaethje will step in to face Ferguson for what the promotion is calling an interim title.

White hasn’t exactly been the most supportive of the social distancing practices suggested during this time, telling Yahoo Sports in a March 31 interview, “How long are we going to stay in our houses and hide?”

UFC 249 was slated to take place in the Barclays Center in New Jersey. A new site has not been given by White.

The event is slated to air on ESPN + and pay-per-view.