President of the UFC Dana White is insisting that UFC 249 will continue and will not be a one-time event. The upcoming event will be held at a still-undisclosed location and that the promotion for the fight will be hosted on a private island.

White stated that UFC249 will not be the only event that will be coming up. The fight schedule will be back up and running on April 18. The same venue that is hosting UFC 249 will be hosting other events for the coming two months, according to the UFC President.

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White told TMZ on Monday, “I have this venue for two months, and we’re setting up shop here. We’re going to be pumping out fights every week. I’m also a day or two away from securing a private island. I have a private island that I’ve secured. We’re getting the infrastructure put in now, so I’m going to start doing the international fights, too, with the international fighters.”

“I’m not going to be able to get the international fighters, all of them into the U.S., so I have a private island. I’m going to start flying them all into the private island and start doing international fights from there. So as of April 18, the UFC is back up and running. … We have all our own planes and everything we’re going to fly into the island with the fighters.”

UFC 249 was originally scheduled to be headlined by Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson for the lightweight title.  Since Nurmagoedov is on lockdown in Russia, Ferguson will fight Justin Gaethje for the interim 155-pound belt.

The UFC already has been forced to postpone three events, which followed the trend of nearly every major sports league and event globally over the coming months. These fights will also be taking place behind closed doors with no fans. White said precautions will be in place for the U.S. destination, as well as the island location.

“Everyone is going to be tested and tested and tested,” White said. “We’re going to make sure healthy athletes, healthy athletic commission people, healthy judges, referees, my production people, and everyone there is going to be healthy. We’re going to make sure everybody is going to be safe before, during and after the fights.”

UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov made an announcement Wednesday that he will not leave quarantine in Russia to fight in UFC 249.

Nurmagomedov (28-0) was scheduled to fight top contender Tony Ferguson (25-3) in the main event of UFC 249 in two weeks. The show was initially slated for Barclays Center in Brooklyn before the pandemic threw the UFC’s schedule into upheaval. His announcement Wednesday on Instagram, telling the mixed martial arts world to “take care of yourself and put yourself in my shoes.”

“I understand everything and I’m definitely more upset than you to cancel the fight,” Nurmagomedov said. “Probably like all others, I had many plans after the fight, but I can’t control it all.”

Dana White and the UFC didn’t immediately comment on Nurmagomedov’s decision, which had been expected for several days since the MMA world learned Nurmagomedov wasn’t in California, where he typically finishes his training for his fights. Nurmagomedov is in his native Dagestan, and his Instagram post made it clear he isn’t leaving for the fight even if White is able to find a location to stage it. Nurmagomedov left California to return home when the UFC had tentative plans to stage UFC 249 in the United Arab Emirates, but the champion first revealed Monday that he probably wouldn’t be allowed to leave the country due to travel restrictions.

“It turns out that the whole world should be in quarantine,” Nurmagomedov said. “Governments of all countries, famous people around the world urge people to follow all safety requirements in order to limit the spread of the disease, to save people, and Khabib is the only one relieved of all obligations and must demonstrate free will and train flying around the world, for the sake of fight?”

Ferguson still wants to fight on April 18, and  White has repeatedly vowed to find a safe way to hold UFC 249, the biggest pay-per-view event on the promotion’s spring calendar. White has claimed to have a venue selected where he will hold the show without fans, although he hasn’t disclosed the location.

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