Why was UFC Fight Night 171: London canceled?

UFC Fight Night 171 was initially slated to take place at the O2 Arena in London, England on March 21, 2020. The main event was scheduled to be a fight between Leon Edwards and Tyron Woodley at welterweight.

UFC president Dana White revealed on March 15 that owing to the COVID-19 global pandemic resulting in a travel ban in the United Kingdom, the event will have to be moved to a new venue and some of the scheduled fights may be revised.

Dana White issued a statement to ESPN MMA, stating:

"The fight can't obviously continue in London, but it will go on. We are working on finding a new venue, likely to be in the United States, and I have my matchmakers working on putting the undercard together."

While the spread of coronavirus disrupted the staging of sporting events across the globe, the UFC was committed to not canceling any events. Dana White declared that he was eager to proceed with UFC Fight Night 171 after discussing the ramifications with then-US president Donald Trump:

"I talked to the President and the Vice President of the United States about this and they're taking this very seriously and they're saying, 'Be cautious and be careful but live your life and stop panicking."

A letter from Dana White to staff members on March 16, 2020, was later made public, confirming the postponement of UFC Fight Night 171. Several event cancelations were made because of the pandemic for the first time in the promotion's history. The UFC also subsequently scrapped events on March 28 and April 11.

In a statement released later, White said that any bouts that had to be postponed would be moved to a later date. On April 1st, it was declared that all scheduled combatants would be compensated despite the events getting postponed.

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Why did Leon Edwards pull out of UFC Fight Night 171?

Leon Edwards was amongst the first to pull out of UFC Fight Night 171.

Edwards posted on Instagram that he would not be competing against Woodley on March 21, 2020. Since the fight was being planned to be shifted to the United States, Edwards and his team were unable to participate since they are based in the United Kingdom.

Leon Edwards took to Instagram to issue a statement to his fans and clarify what went on behind the curtains for UFC Fight Night 171 that eventually led to him pulling out of the fight:

"We have been working with the UFC on possible solutions to keep the fight alive. 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 cancelation is truly heartbreaking."

Things worked out for Leon Edwards in the end, as he eventually challenged Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title and won at UFC 278. At UFC 286, which takes place on March 18, 2023, at the O2 Arena in London, England, Edwards will face Usman for the third time.