Dana White: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson fight ‘is in the process of being made’

That Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson lightweight title fight we’ve all been awaiting for years? Expect to go down in the first quarter of 2020. That’s right from the lips of UFC President Dana White, who recently updated on the matchup in a chat with The Schmo.

“Nothing is holding [that matchup] up,” White told the Schmo of a Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson fight. “The fight is in the process of being made. It’s obviously the next fight to make, so it will happen.”

The Schmo then followed up, asking White if we can expect the matchup in the first quarter of 2020.

“Yeah,” White said bluntly.

So there you have it. Barring another disaster,Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson will finally collide sometime in the first few months of the new year.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is currently a flawless 28-0 as a professional mixed martial artist. In his last fight, he defended the UFC lightweight title with a dominant defeat of Dustin Poirier, which culminated with a third-round submission victory. In his next most recent outing, he defended the title in similar fashion, defeating his arch rival Conor McGregor via fourth-round submission.

Nurmagomedov won the vacant lightweight title in early 2018, defeating Al Iaquinta by decision. Other highlights of his record include defeats of Edson Barboza, Michael Johnson and Rafael dos Anjos.

Tony Ferguson, on the other hand, will enter this planned showdown with Nurmagomedov on a dazzling 12-fight win-streak. He last fought in June, when he battered Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone to a doctor stoppage win. In the fight that preceded that, he thumped Anthony Pettis to the same end. Other highlights of his current run include wins over Kevin Lee, Rafael dos Anjos, Edson Barboza and Josh Thomson.

Ferguson held the previously held the interim lightweight title, but was never promoted to undisputed champ.

Who do you think will come out on top when Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson finally collide in early 2020?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 10/29/2019.