Leon Edwards has confirmed that he will not be fighting Tyron Woodley next week.
The scheduled main event of the now nixed UFC London card appeared in serious trouble when the United States imposed travel restrictions on the UK in light of the recent outbreak of COVID-19, prompting UFC officials to cancel that card and attempt to hold it at a venue yet-to-be-decided in the US.
It was reported that Edwards was asked to board a plane and fly to the United States — even with no destination for any potential fight being clear — but according to a post on his Instagram, Edwards had opted to remain with his family.
“Last night I went to sleep still with some hope that UFC London would continue next week,” he wrote. “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 have never worked harder and never been more prepared for the biggest moment in my career. But I know that the whole world is hurting right now and this is bigger than me, this is bigger than sports. All I can hope for is that all of you stay safe and look after each other as we get past this and move forward.
“I am humbled by the thousands of messages of support I have received in the hours since the announcement, I truly appreciate you all and feel a lot of love right now. 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.
“Please take care, we will all get through is.”
