Thread by @kevinmdraper, New reporting: UFC 249 was canceled after California Gov. Gavin Newsom called [...]

Kevin Draper

kevinmdraper

New reporting: UFC 249 was canceled after California Gov. Gavin Newsom called Disney to express his concerns with the event https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/sports/ufc-249-canceled.html

Dana White Says U.F.C. 249 Canceled by Request of ESPN and Disney

White, who had been pushing to hold fights during the coronavirus pandemic, said the card would not be held April 18, as planned.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/sports/ufc-249-canceled.html

On a more personal note, @danawhite told an ESPN reporter that my reporting yesterday ( https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/sports/ufc-249-coronavirus-location.html) was “all lies.” Here are his full comments:

The facts are that a UFC PR representative did not answer my phone calls Tuesday or Wednesday. Nobody from the UFC has asked for a single correction. Mark Shapiro, the president of Endeavor — the UFC’s parent company — spoke to me on the record yesterday and raised no concerns.

I asked the UFC tonight for an on-the-record interview with White and whether they have any factual objections to my reporting.

I have not yet gotten a response.

You can follow @kevinmdraper.

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