Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Originally Bellator was going to go the empty arena route for tonight’s event in Mohegan Sun, but now it has been postponed indefinitely.
Bellator 241 will not be going ahead as scheduled after all. The event was scheduled to go down tonight in Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, but the promotion has pulled the plug at the last minute due to the coronavirus pandemic that is currently taking place.
Bellator CEO Scott Coker took to social media to officially announce the news:
The health and safety of everyone involved have, and will remain, our top priority as we move forward. After carefully monitoring the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, @BellatorMMA has chosen to postpone this evening’s Bellator 241 event at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) March 13, 2020
We would like to apologize to our athletes and fans, as well as our broadcast partner DAZN, but we feel this is the best decision to be made at this time.
— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) March 13, 2020
Initially, the promotion was going to run the event in an empty arena with no fans as a safety measure. But just hours before the show was supposed to kick off, they took a more drastic step for safety reasons. As mentioned, the event will likely take place at a later date.
The show was set to be headlined by a featherweight grand prix quarter-final matchup between dual champion Patricio Pitbull and Pedro Carvalho.
This is just the latest in a string of postponements and cancellations in the sports world due to the coronavirus threat. Virtually every major sports league has decided to shut down until the threat has ceased. The UFC has not though, and will go forward with their scheduled show in Brasilia tomorrow, as of right now. The show will be closed-door, with no fans in attendance.