The UFC 249 has been cancelled after president Dana White was told to 'stand down' by Disney and ESPN executives. 

The event was scheduled for April 18 after it was moved from Brooklyn in New York to reports of it potentially taking place on a private island. 

But White who remained optimistic about the event going ahead, has now been told it's off.

Headline fighters Khabib Nurmagomedov and Rose Namajunas had already pulled out from the event which was set to take place behind closed doors. 

White told ESPN: "It’s been a battle since day one, we’ve been fighting all day and all night to put on this event.

"Today we got a call from the highest level you could go at Disney and the highest level of ESPN.

"The powers that be there asked me to stand down and not do this event."

And White said on Instagram that the fights had not been cancelled but are postponed and pushed back. 

"We have a great relationship (ESPN and Disney)... them asking me to stand down, there’s no way I wouldn’t not do that."