UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is set to put his undefeated record and title on the line against Tony Ferguson later next month.
The highly anticipated bout has been booked 4-times in the past. Each time, the fight fell through for different health reasons, with both fighters pulling out twice. This has lead to some fans labeling the fight as “cursed” and now it looks like it might be in trouble once again.
The pair are scheduled to headline UFC 249, which was set to take place on April 18 in Brooklyn, New York. The Governor of the state of New York recently announced a ban on all large gatherings amid growing concerns over the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, leaving the UFC 249 event in jeopardy.
UFC president Dana White recently assured fans that they are doing everything in their power to make the fight happen on April 18, as planned. He revealed that the fight will most likely have to be relocated, but did not specify a location. This comes in the wake of recent cancellations of 3 future UFC events.
Brett Okamoto reports that Khabib Nurmagomedov issued a statement on his Instagram regarding the new location of UFC 249:
“Khabib Nurmagomedov on IG: This is a very important fight. We have to fight Tony Ferguson and we have to know who the next contender is. I talk with Dana yesterday. Next couple days, Dana is going to send us location.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father, Abdulmanap, recently said that he believes UFC 249 will be moved to a location in the Middle East, citing Dubai or Abu Dhabi as potential places, where the event might be held.
Nurmagomedov’s manager and friend, Ali Abdelaziz has also came out and stated that the fight will happen on April 18 as planned.
There is no official statement regarding the relocation of UFC 249 from the company at this time.
This article first appeared on CLOSEDGUARDMEDIA.com on 18th March, 2020.
Discussion about this post