Will Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson be cancelled again? Not if Dana White has any say so.
The coronavirus has caused all kinds of problems for the world of sports such as NBA, MLB, PGA, and Professional Wrestling. MMA has seen several cancellations and changes as well, with the UFC holding an empty arena show this past Saturday.
With the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) voting to suspend all combat sports until March 25, panic grew on the upcoming Lightweight title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson.
Following the recent UFC Fight Night event, Dana White addressed the many concerns regarding upcoming shows being cancelled and the UFC President makes it clear, unless there’s a total shutdown from the government then the events will continue on as planned (Transcript courtesy of MMA Junkie):
“Unless there’s a total shutdown of the country where people can’t leave their houses and things like that, these fights will happen,” White said.
“We’re gonna move on. These guys will compete. We will find venues, and we will figure this thing out. I mean, the only thing that’s gonna stop us is a complete government shutdown where everyone is confined to their homes.”
White ensures fans that the lightweight title bout in Brooklyn will still happen; however, the match-up between Khabib and Tony will likely take place in another venue:
“So we had possibly a couple of different venues for that fight, including Nevada. So now the whole Nevada thing went down. We’re looking for another venue. I hope by 10 o’clock (Sunday) morning I should have two venue options for that fight. That fight will happen. It will go on. The fans are all freaking out, but don’t worry. That fight will happen.”
On the situation with the NAC:
“As of now, the (March 28 and April 11) fights can’t happen at the Apex here in Las Vegas. We’re working to find new locations, but the fights will go on. They will continue. We’re not stopping. We will keep finding a way to put on the fights. I’m in the fight business. I’ve been doing this for over 20 years, and this stuff happens to me every weekend. So, I’m used to this stuff. Not at this level obviously, but this is what we do. And we always make sure that the cards happen, and they will continue to happen.”
Obviously, this situation will continue to play by a daily basis. Should the Khabib vs. Tony fight be forced to cancel then it will be the fifth time that the lightweight match-up between the two has been called off.
While Ferguson has remained silent over the situation,
Nurmagomedov has spoken and states that his training hasn’t changed despite the coronavirus epidemic. As always, we’ll keep you updated on the situation.