UFC 249 has had plenty of hurdles to overcome long before fight night. It was only in the last 48 hours that Justin Gaethje was confirmed on the card to fight Tony Ferguson. Khabib Nurmagomedov getting stuck in Russia threw the event into chaos, but it's not like it would have been plain sailing regardless. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has caused huge disruption to the sporting calendar around the world and Dana White seems one of the few individuals determined not to be thwarted by the outbreak. The UFC supremo has faced huge criticism for ploughing on with the show on April 18 and there were serious doubts about how he would find a venue. According to the New York Times, it will now take place at the Tachi Palace Resort Casino in California. Naturally, all the action will be behind closed doors with no fans allowed in attendance.
UFC 249 was originally supposed to happen in New York. White latterly said he was trying to find a private island where he could put on fights weekly.
The new venue has been closed since March 20 but will reopen when the UFC rolls into town.
California has actually suspended combat sport due to COVID-19, but the Tachi Fight Palace is on a special Indian reservation.
As it's part of the Santa Rosa Indian Community, it has its own commission and does not have to obey the laws of the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).
The reality is that minus Khabib - and minus the crowd - UFC 249 is never going to be the spectacle it might have been.
All that matters for White is that its last major obstacle has been knocked down and he finally has a venue.