Dana White rules out Barclays Center return six years after COVID-era walkout

Dana White confirmed at the UFC 334 post-fight press conference at Madison Square Garden that the UFC has no plans to return to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, citing a dispute that dates back to the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

White said Barclays Center backed out of hosting UFC 249, which was originally scheduled for April 18, 2020, with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson set to contest the lightweight title. The New York State Athletic Commission ultimately ruled the event could not take place in the state under pandemic restrictions, and the UFC postponed the card before rescheduling it for May 9 in Jacksonville, Florida, where Tony Ferguson faced Justin Gaethje in the main event.

For White, however, the venue’s withdrawal was a personal affront he has not forgotten. “Yeah, COVID s**t. They pulled out on me during COVID,” he said when asked why the UFC has stayed away from Brooklyn. “I told them, ‘Don’t do this to me. I’ll never come back there if you do this to me.’”

The UFC has been true to that warning. The last time the promotion held an event at Barclays Center was January 19, 2019, when Henry Cejudo stopped T.J. Dillashaw to retain the flyweight title in the main event of UFC Fight Night 143 — more than six years ago.

White’s comments at Madison Square Garden underline the enduring tension between the UFC and one of New York City’s premier arenas. With MSG continuing to host major UFC cards, including UFC 334, there appears to be no commercial pressure on the promotion to reconcile with Barclays Center any time soon.