Matt Mitrione was among the first group of fighters to be directly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
“The Ultimate Fighter 10” veteran agreed to replace Josh Barnett on short notice at Bellator 241, where he was scheduled to square off against Ronny Markes in a featured bout on March 13. Mitrione, like everyone else on the card, weighed in one day prior to the event as the promotion planned to proceed with fights in an empty venue at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. However, as the serious nature of the COVID-19 outbreak began to take hold, Bellator elected to cancel the event entirely on the day it was scheduled to take place.