Mike Grundy faces anxious wait after UFC London event switched to USA

Mike Grundy in his Wigan gym, Elite Fitness Factory, last week

UFC London - which was scheduled for Saturday March 21 at The O2 - will no longer take place in the English capital because of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

UFC president Dana White is looking for a new venue to host the event but the original bill is in tatters, with most fights cancelled or heading that way.

Wiganer Grundy was scheduled to take on Makwan Amirkhani in a featherweight fight at The O2. Atherton's Tom Aspinall was also on the bill.

Amirkhahi's coach, John Kavanagh, tweeted: "Gutted for Amirkhani that UFC London is off. I really hope that UFC can compensate them some percentage of their purse. They had invested heavily in their training camps, moving to Dublin etc"

The USA has extended its travel ban on European countries to the UK and Ireland and that comes into force at 4am on Tuesday.

That means any UK-based fighters must make the trip today - given them little time to make travel arrangements, let alone get the necessary visas. Grundy confirmed yesterday he was waiting to discover what will happen, and is training - and cutting weight - at usual in case he is still in action next weekend.

"Things are changing by the hour, this morning they announced new travel restrictions for the UK so the fight obviously can’t continue in London, but the fight will go on," White told Sports Center on Sunday.

"We’re looking at finding a new venue, likely in the United States and I have my match-makers literally working right now to put together the undercard. ‘The bottom line is that fight is happening and that main event will go on."

Grundy has not fought in a year, since his UFC debut in London last March.

He was due to face Russian Movsar Evloev in China last autumn but injury ruled him out.