Bellator president Scott Coker announced on Twitter that Friday's Bellator 241 from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., will proceed without fans inside the venue, due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The main event of the show is the quarterfinals of the featherweight grand prix featuring champion Patricio "Pitbull" Freire taking on Pedro Carvalho. The co-main event is another quarterfinal fight between Emmanuel Sanchez and Daniel Weichel.
Coker said that fans who purchased tickets could get refunds. The event is being shown live on DAZN.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont had already declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, and on Thursday he issued executive orders banning gatherings of 250 or more people. Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation director Mike Mazzulli told ESPN the decision was up to Bellator on whether the card would go on. Mazzulli also said that his doctors would conduct more stringent pre-fight physicals, including checking for fevers and whether fighters have been in any areas that people have had the coronavirus.
"The Mohegan Tribe Athletic Department is always concerned about fighters' safety," Mazzulli said to ESPN. "They concur with Bellator's decision. In fact, we implemented added pre-fight physical requirements, which included making sure all fighters do not have a fever and have not traveled to any heavily affected areas."
The coronavirus has caused the postponement of the NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS seasons. The NCAA has gone as far as to cancel its men's and women's college basketball tournaments. Another MMA event will go forward as planned this weekend, but also without fans, as the UFC will continue with its event Saturday in Brasilia, Brazil.