Leon Edwards woke up to the news Sunday morning that his March 21 fight against Tyron Woodley is being forced out of London due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Disappointed, the British MMA fighter took to Instagram to share his heartbreak over the cancellation while announcing he's pulling out of the bout altogether.
Edwards explained his stance in a lengthy statement, adding that he hopes the Woodley fight is "rebooked when it is safe to do so."
The statement in part read:
"Last night I went to sleep still with some hope that UFC London would continue next week. I woke up this morning to the news that it won't be. We have been working with the UFC on possible solutions to keep the fight alive, but unfortunately with such a short window of time, nothing was viable. Myself and my team are all fathers, husbands, sons and brothers, and not all of us can leave our families right now. I wish we could have found a way for the fans, I truly do. I have been dreaming of headlining a UFC show in my home country since I started this sport. This cancellation is truly heartbreaking. ... I look forward to this event being rebooked when it is safe to do so, so Tyron and I can put on the show that you all deserve."
Edwards' lengthy statement gave Colby Covington the fuel he needed to offer up a cringey reaction like only he can ... even during a global pandemic (warning: explicit language used):
Edwards' sentiments and Covington's reaction comes on the heels of the UFC making sure its Fight Night event in Brazil took place on Saturday during the COVID-19 outbreak that shut down everything from the NBA to the NCAA Tournament and more major sports leagues' events.
UFC president Dana White appeared on ESPN's "SportsCenter" early Sunday to share his optimism the Woodley-Edwards fight would still happen, in a different location.
"Obviously, things are changing by the hour," White said. "(Saturday) morning, they announced new travel restrictions for the U.K., so (the March 21 event) can't continue in London. But the fight will go on. We're working on finding a new venue, likely in the United States, and I have my matchmakers literally working right now to put together the undercard."
Despite White's optimism at the time, the scrapped Woodley-Edwards main event could be just the beginning for UFC: Indeed, the highly anticipated Khabib Nurmagomedov-Tony Ferguson fight will no longer take place in Brooklyn, N.Y., on April 18 due to New York's state of emergency.