UFC 249 Main Event: Ferguson vs Justin Gaethje
- UFC 249 is scheduled for April 18
- The showdown was to see Khabib take on Ferguson
Tony Ferguson will now take on Justin Gaethje for the headline fight at UFC 249 after the withdrawal of Khabib.
The fight was confirmed by UFC president Dana White via a tweet: ‘The fight is signed and is 100% ON, LIVE on ESPN somewhere on EARTH!!!!’
‘Tony Ferguson versus Justin Gaethje is LIVE on ESPN and pay-per-view on April 18th for the Interim Lightweight Belt!’
Despite most of the sporting calendar being demolished by the ongoing pandemic, White is determined to see his main event go ahead on April 18.
Plans for UFC 249 were thrown in limbo when Khabib Nurmagomedov informed that he will not be able to feature in the fight.
The two fighters were set to fight at UFC 249 in Brooklyn on April 18 but the lightweight champion is stranded in Russia as the nation placed a travel ban on all flights as part of the country’s measures in battling Covid-19.
Some glimmer of hope had surfaced that Khabib could travel to US for the event using a private jet but all the hope was shattered when the Dagestani fighter confirmed that he would not be taking place in the long-awaited showdown that has been cancelled FIVE times.
UFC 249 was originally meant to take place in Brooklyn, New York only for Governor Andrew Cuomo to issue an order restricting mass gatherings.
Dana White would then inform MMA’s fans that the event would take place ‘somewhere in the world’.
