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Coronavirus pandemic

Russia’s UFC Champ Nurmagomedov says his fight with Ferguson may be cancelled altogether

The New York mayor announced earlier in the month a state of emergency in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, which includes the cancellation and postponement of various sports events

Khabib Nurmagomedov Valery Matytsin/TASS

Khabib Nurmagomedov

© Valery Matytsin/TASS

MOSCOW, March 30. /TASS/. Russia’s UFC Reigning Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov said on Monday his bout against US fighter Tony Ferguson is unlikely to be relocated and may be cancelled altogether.

Nurmagomedov’s team signed a contract last November for the Russian fighter to face American Tony Ferguson at a UFC event in Brooklyn, New York, on April 18, 2020, in Barclays Center. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced earlier in the month a state of emergency in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, which includes the cancellation and postponement of various sports events, including the fight between Nurmagomedov and Ferguson.

However, UFC (the Ultimate Fighting Championship) President Dana White announced on March 24 that he found a new location for the fight between Nurmagomedov and Ferguson, but declined to specify the venue.

Read also

UFC President Dana White says decided on venue for Nurmagomedov-Ferguson fight

"UFC is currently in talks with one of the states in America to hold the fight in the United States," the Russian fighter commented in his live video uploaded to Instagram on Monday. "They want the fight to go either with me or without me." "As I have found out, UFC has already started looking for a new opponent for Ferguson because he is staying in the United States," he continued. "I have nothing against the cancellation of the fight."

"I cannot leave the country at the moment and I can say that I am currently in isolation," Khabib said.

The New York State Athletic Commission announced on March 18 its decision to cancel the bout between the Russian and US fighters next month as a preventive measure against the ongoing global spread of the novel coronavirus as well as in accordance with restrictions by the New York State limiting large public gatherings.

Last month, a spokesperson for Nurmagomedov’s team told TASS that the Russian fighter and his team set off for the United States in mid-February for trainings ahead of his bout against the American opponent. US fighter Tony ‘El Cucuy’ Ferguson, 36, has a record of 25 wins (12 by KOs, eight by submission and five by decision) and three defeats. However, the Russian fighter later returned home.

Nurmagomedov also said he was almost certain that his fight with Ferguson would be relocated to Abu Dhabi.

"We were told it was a 99.9% possibility that the tournament will be organized in Abu Dhabi," he revealed. "But when we arrived there, we were refused to enter the country. This is why we have decided to return to our country."

UFC Reigning Champ Nurmagomedov

In early September last year, Nurmagomedov defended his UFC champion’s belt for the second time in a title unification bout in Abu Dhabi against Dustin Poirier of the United States. The Russian defeated his US opponent with a choke in Round 3.

The 31-year-old Russian fighter, nicknamed ‘The Eagle,’ currently holds an unblemished record of 28 wins in all of his mixed martial arts fights (8 by KOs, 10 by submission and 10 by decision).

Khabib Nurmagomedov, hailing from Russia’s North Caucasus Region of Dagestan, was the first Russian to win the UFC champion title during the fight against his US opponent Al Iaquinta in the spring of 2018.

On April 8, 2018, Nurmagomedov defeated Al Iaquinta in a five-round fight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight belt in New York.

At the UFC 229 tournament in Las Vegas in October 2018, Nurmagomedov defended his champion’s title in the fight against Conor McGregor, a renowned Irish professional mixed martial arts fighter and boxer.

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