The UFC will hope the fifth time is the charm, as it intends to book lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov against Tony Ferguson for Brooklyn this April.
The UFC will, for the fifth (and hopefully final) time, attempt to book a fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson. Per a report by ESPN citing UFC President Dana White, the promotion is planning a lightweight title fight between the two at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on April 18, 2020.
The pair have each pulled out of fights with the other twice, most recently with last year’s UFC 223, which saw a freak injury to Ferguson result in Nurmagomedov lined up against Max Holloway, and later fighting Al Iaquinta. Not to mention the chaos caused by the arrival of Conor McGregor to Brooklyn, with the Irish star attacking a bus housing Nurmagomedov and his entourage.
In addition to news of the April fight breaking Monday, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s manager also revealed that his client had signed his contract for the April 18 fight. A photo of the contract was posted to Instgram.
Nurmagomedov (28-0) last competed at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi this past September, defeating Dustin Poirier by submission in the third round. ‘The Eagle’ was coming back from a nine-month suspension thanks to his actions at UFC 229, where he left the cage to attack members of rival Conor McGregor’s team, an act that nearly sparked a riot.
Ferguson (25-3) is currently riding a career-best 12-fight win streak. He has not suffered defeat since 2012, when he lost a unanimous decision to Michael Johnson. In his current run, he holds wins over Donald Cerrone, Anthony Pettis, Kevin Lee, Rafael dos Anjos, and Edson Barboza, among others.
