Perth’s UFC 251 event in June is expected to join the long list of sporting postponements caused by the coronavirus pandemic but it’s likely to be rescheduled.
It was hoped Australia’s featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski would make his first title defence at UFC 251, though no bout had been finalised.
An announcement on the postponement of UFC 251, scheduled for Western Australia’s RAC Arena on June 7, could be made in the next week.
As a prestigious pay-per-view event it is expected to be rescheduled for later in 2020 or some time in 2021, rather than be cancelled.
The show’s co-main event between women’s flyweight title holder Valentina Shevchenko and Joanne Calderwood has already fallen through after the champion withdrew due to a leg injury.
The UFC on Tuesday announced events scheduled for Nebraska (April 25), Oklahoma City (May 2) and San Diego (May 16) would not proceed due to state and county restrictions on public gatherings.
UFC 250 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, (May 9) won’t go ahead due to the closing of Ibirapuera Gymnasium for the installation of a field hospital through September.
The UFC is still proposing to hold an event somewhere in the United States on May 9, when American fighters will be used.
There is expected to be an event on a yet to be announced island in either June or July, which would feature fighters from outside the US.