Bellator 244 featuring Michael Chandler vs. Benson Henderson rematch postponed

Bellator 244, which was set to be headlined by a lightweight rematch featuring Michael Chandler and Benson Henderson, has officially been postponed.

Bellator 244 was set to take place at WinTrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois on June 6. The card was to be headlined by Chandler vs. Henderson 2, with a co-main event featuring the Bellator featherweight Grand Prix semifinal bout between AJ McKee and Darrion Caldwell. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bellator has decided to postpone the event until further notice.

Bellator announced the postponement in a press release on Tuesday. Here’s what the announcement said:

Due to the ongoing safety concerns surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as current federal, state and local government mandates, Bellator MMA officials today have announced that Bellator 244, originally scheduled to take place on June 6 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill., has been postponed. The organization will continue to monitor the situation closely and fully intends to reschedule the event as soon as possible. As always, the health and safety of our athletes, fans, partners and staff remains our top priority. We appreciate the understanding and patience of everyone involved during this incredibly difficult time.

Bellator previously postponed all of its events in March, April, and May as the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the world. While the UFC has been adamant the show must go on, Bellator, on the other hand, has had no problem postponing its events.

At this point, Bellator only has one more showed booked, a card in October that is set for Dublin, Ireland. There’s no sure thing that card will still take place as scheduled considering we have no idea how long the coronavirus pandemic will last for. Like the UFC, of course, the Scott Coker-led promotion will want to put on a show as soon as possible. But at the same time, Bellator wants to play it safe and you can’t fault them for that.