Khabib Nurmagomedov News
Khabib Nurmagomedov seemingly pulls plug on Ferguson fight: "Put yourself in my shoes"
Tom Taylor - April 1, 2020
Khabib Nurmagomedov is seemingly — and understandably — reluctant to fight at UFC 249 as the coronavirus pandemic continues to sweep the planet. Nurmagomedov, the UFC lightweight champ, was expected to fight Tony Ferguson on the April 18 card. Unfortunately, new travel bans have made it difficult for him to leave his native Russia to participate in the fight — though it could still be possible.
Report | Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson fight gets glimmer of hope as Russia allows private flights to US
Tom Taylor - April 1, 2020
There’s still a glimmer of hope that we might see Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson fight at UFC 249 on April 18. Earlier this week, Russia announced new travel restrictions to combat the spread of COVID-19. The lightweight champ Nurmagomedov had returned to Russia by that point, meaning he was seemingly stuck in the country and unable to fly to the United States or elsewhere to fight Ferguson on the 18.
Coach hints that Conor McGregor could be Tony Ferguson's next opponent
Tom Taylor - March 31, 2020
With UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov stuck in Russia due to new COVID-19 travel restrictions, his would-be opponent Tony Ferguson must make a decision: wait to fight Nurmagomedov when the pandemic subsides, or fight somebody else in the meantime. John Kavanagh, the coach behind Conor McGregor, seems to be hoping Ferguson goes the latter route. On Tuesday, ESPN reporter Ariel Helwani posted a poll on Twitter, asking fans if they’d prefer to see Ferguson wait to fight Nurmagomedov or fight replacement opponent Justin Gaethje on April 18.
Pro lightweights name their 155-pound GOAT
Cole Shelton - March 31, 2020
One of the biggest questions in all of MMA is who is the GOAT? Is it someone who had the biggest impact on the sport or the person who won the most? It’s an interesting debate for fighters and fans alike to have at any time. So, with little to no MMA on for the foreseeable future, BJPENN.com reached out to several current and former lightweights to ask who their divisional GOAT is. The majority believe it is Khabib Nurmagomedov but the likes of Tony Ferguson, BJ Penn, Frankie Edgar and Conor McGregor are in the discussion.
Khabib Nurmagomedov stranded in Russia: UFC 249 will go ahead 'with or without me'
Alfredo Zullino - March 30, 2020
It seems that the UFC 249 main event, which was expected to pit Khabib Nurmagomedov against Tony Ferguson, could be off the table again. There has been widespread worry over the last few days about Khabib Nurmagomedov’s whereabouts, and on Monday morning, “The Eagle” took to Instagram Live to confirm that he is seemingly stranded in Russia now that the country has closed its borders to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Future UFC events could feature countrymen only competition
Christopher Taylor - March 28, 2020
If the UFC plans to hold future events as scheduled, they are likely going to have to do so by pitting fellow countrymen up against one another. With cross-border closures already being implemented by many countries due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the only way fighters will likely to be able to compete is if it comes against someone from their home nation. That is at least for the foreseeable future.
Dana White confirms "four or five" potential locations for UFC 249
Christopher Taylor - March 28, 2020
UFC President Dana White is determined to have next month’s UFC 249 pay-per-view event take place as scheduled on April 18, 2020. The fight card was originally slated to take place in Brooklyn, however, due to the Covid-19 outbreak the promotion was forced to move the event on short-notice.
Russia's cross-border travel ban potentially buries Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson
Chris Taylor - March 28, 2020
Fight fans are on pins and needles wondering if April’s highly anticipated UFC 249 main event between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson will happen. The lightweight title fight was initially booked for April 18 in Brooklyn. However, due to the recent Covid-19 outbreak, the UFC was forced to change the event location last minute and have still yet to formally announce the new venue.
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson: Who has the better resume?
Tom Taylor - March 27, 2020
If everything goes according to plan, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson will finally collide in the main event of UFC 249 on April 18. The card will not occur in Brooklyn as originally planned, and there will not be any fans in the building watching it live, but if Dana White is to believed, it’s going to happen. The fight is a massive one for MMA not only because Nurmagomedov and Ferguson have been scheduled to fight four times previously to no avail, but because they stand out as the two greatest lightweights of this era.
Daniel Cormier doubtful fight schedule will continue as planned following UFC 249
Natasha Hooper - March 27, 2020
Daniel Cormier believes that Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 249 will take place next month. However, he remains sceptical about the destiny of future events. The former two-division champion trains under the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) banner alongside teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov. “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov is scheduled to defend his lightweight title against Tony Ferguson in the main event of UFC 249. The eagerly anticipated matchup has been scheduled 4 times before but cancelled each time.
Artem Lobov says 'focused' Conor McGregor deserves Khabib rematch, confident he'd dethrone the champ
Cole Shelton - March 26, 2020
Artem Lobov believes his teammate and friend, Conor McGregor deserves the chance to rematch Khabib Nurmagomedov. McGregor and Nurmagomedov fought back at UFC 229 where the lead up to the fight was intense. The rivalry was heated and after the submission win by Nurmagomedov, a post-fight melee took place.
Disrespect shown to Tony Ferguson could be calamitous for Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor II
Jordy McElroy - March 25, 2020
Objects in the mirror may be closer than they appear, but it’s truly the offbeat, borderline eccentric madman riding shotgun that should be most concerning to UFC lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov. Top contender Tony Ferguson won’t make it rain green like Conor McGregor, but he could make it spew red by giving the champ a fight the likes of which the lightweight division has never seen. Money, hype, showmanship—any quantifiable description of a mere spectacle falls at the wayside when pitting the baddest 155-pounders on the planet against one another.
UFC 249 could be held in Florida after Dana White says event is still a go
Adam Martin - March 24, 2020
UFC president Dana White is confident UFC 249 will go on as planned, and a new report says the event could take place in Florida. On Monday, White said that UFC 249 was still a go for April 18 with a lightweight title fight between champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and top contender Tony Ferguson. White also said that the event will feature a full undercard. White said that he has a home for the event but is not ready to release that to the public. We now have an idea of where that may be.
UFC 249 full card betting odds revealed
Adam Martin - March 24, 2020
The sportsbooks have released the full card betting odds for UFC 249 after UFC president Dana White confirmed the event will still go on. White said on Monday to Kevin Iole of Yahoo! that the UFC will still hold UFC 249, which includes a main event featuring Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson for the UFC lightweight title. The event was originally set for Brooklyn, New York, but will be moved due to the coronavirus outbreak. The UFC president also confirmed it will be a full card and that the promotion knows where the card will take place, though he can’t announce it yet.
Justin Gaethje once again calls out Conor McGregor: 'It's his choice'
Natasha Hooper - March 24, 2020
Justin Gaethje has said the only way Conor McGregor can prove he’s worthy of a Khabib Nurmagomedov rematch is to fight him. The No. 4 ranked lightweight has been calling for a fight against “The Notorious” for some time. With the future of UFC events uncertain due to the coronavius, “The Highlight” is thinking strategically about his next opponent.
Khabib Nurmagomedov says he doesn't 'understand what's going on at all' with his UFC 249 fight against Tony Ferguson
Cole Shelton - March 23, 2020
Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t know what is going on with his UFC 249 fight against Tony Ferguson. Nurmagomedov and Ferguson were expected to headline UFC 249 in Brooklyn, New York on April 18. Yet, the scrap will not happen in Brooklyn due to COVID-19. But, UFC president Dana White recently said the new location is set and it will be behind closed doors.
Henry Cejudo warns Jon Jones, Khabib Nurmagomedov: 'That crown will be mine'
Tom Taylor - March 23, 2020
UFC bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo is gunning for the top spot on the UFC’s vaunted pound-for-pound list, and not even the coronavirus pandemic will stop him. At least, that’s the message he shared on Instagram recently.
Ben Askren has an idea to ensure Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson happens
Tom Taylor - March 20, 2020
Ben Askren wants to see Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson fight as a badly as the rest of us, and he’s got an idea he believes will ensure the fight happens even amid coronavirus-related restrictions. Nurmagomedov and Ferguson have been scheduled to fight four times previously to no avail. The UFC attempted to book them for a fifth time at UFC 249 on April 18 in Brooklyn, New York, but of course the coronavirus pandemic had to come along and derail that plan.