- UFC Chief insists that the fight will go on
- The Event was scheduled to take place on April 18
- Most sporting events have been cancelled/postponed due to the pandemic
UFC has announced that the much waited fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson will take place despite the Covid-19 outbreak.
UFC Chief Dana White has stated that the much anticipated fight will still go ahead on April 18 as planned.
“Listen, if you are a fan, a media member, whatever you might be, do you want to bet against me? At some point you stop doubting me I’d imagine but maybe not. We’ll see.”
Should the fight happen, MMA fans will finally get the fight that they have been waiting for after years of much wait and anticipation.
The Khabib vs Ferguson fight has been made FIVE times before with each time the fight being cancelled or postponed for one reason or another.
December 11 2015
Khabib was on a six UFC winning streak and had a shot at the title against then-champion Rafael dos Anjos. Only man on his way was Tony Ferguson. With six weeks to the event, Khabib broke his rib and the fight was thus called off.
April 16 2016
Dana White set the Khabib vs Ferguson clash as the main event for UFC on Fox 19 at Amalie Arena, Tampa.
Khabib had recovered from his rib injury and the showdown was set to happen.
11 days to the event, Ferguson ‘El Cucuy’ was ruled out of the fight after a doctor found fluid and blood was collecting in the American’s lungs. The clash was called off but Khabib went ahead and faced Darell Hocher who he beat in a second round TKO.
March 4 2017
Khabib and Ferguson were set to clash at UFC 209. Fans waited with bated breaths. There was no mention of any injuries from either camp in the week to the fight. It was set to happen.
During the weigh-in, only Ferguson showed up. Khabib was was nowhere to be seen.
It was later revealed that the Dagestani would not make to the fight as his doctors had instructed him ‘to stay in hospital for seven hours’.
April 7 2018
It was an year after ‘fight three’ was cancelled. UFC 223 in Brooklyn New York was set to be when the two fighters would share the octagon. When the two fighters signed the contract for the fight, Dana White emphasized to both camps of the importance of the fight to finally happen.
April 1 is Fools Day: jokes and trolls always punctuate the day. When UFC announced on April 1 2018 that the clash had been called off, fans thought that it was a bluff especially considering the fact that the reason given was that ‘Ferguson (wearing sunglasses)had tripped over a cable in the TV studios at Fox Sports and had torn his knee ligament’.
April 18 2020
‘If you fail four times, try again’ is what an MMA wise-man would say when UFC set the main event for UFC 249 at the Barclays Center.
When the two fighters met for a press conference in Sin City early this month, nothing seemed amiss – finally (FIVE years later), the two men would square off in the octagon. Or so we thought.
The Covid-19 outbreak that continues to ‘shut’ operations around the world may cause the fight to be called off.
However, Dana White is not ready to cancel the event again.
The UFC president has reassured fans that the fight, slated for April 18, will not be called off.
UFC is said to be considering to broadcast the event from its Apex Facility in Las Vegas.
With bated breaths, we all await to see.
