Khabib Nurmagomedov News

Tom Taylor - April 2, 2020

Khabib Nurmagomedov has spent quite a bit of time broadcasting on Instagram Live over the last 24 hours, primarily explaining why he will not be fighting Tony Ferguson at UFC 249. One of his recent sessions was nearly commandeered by his arch rival Conor McGregor. See the moment that McGregor attempted to goad Nurmagomedov into bringing him into the broadcast below (h/t RT Sport):

Tom Taylor - April 2, 2020

Khabib Nurmagomedov will not be fighting Tony Ferguson on April 18 as originally planned. This marks the fifth time the bout has fallen through, but the hope is that the UFC will try for a sixth time to book the fight when the coronavirus pandemic subsides. Speaking during an Instagram Live session on Thursday, Nurmagomedov offered up two potential dates for a rescheduled fight with Ferguson, noting that he will first have celebrate Ramadan — a period during which he never fights.

Tom Taylor - April 2, 2020

UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov will not be leaving his native Russia to fight Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 on April 18. Since Nurmagomedov announced this decision, many members of the MMA community — including Ferguson and Conor McGregor — have accused him of bailing on the fight.

Tom Taylor - April 2, 2020

You knew this was coming. Former two-division UFC champ Conor McGregor has now reacted to his arch rival, UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, withdrawing from his planned April 18 title fight with Tony Ferguson. In his response to this headline-dominating Twist, McGregor targeted both Nurmagomedov and Ferguson.

Harry Kettle - April 2, 2020

Tony Ferguson has explained why he has not officially said yes to a new opponent yet for UFC 249 after Khabib Nurmagomedov’s withdrawal. There’s still a great deal of uncertainty in the air regarding whether or not UFC 249 is going to happen, with the increasingly prevalent opinion being that the whole thing should just be called off in the name of protecting the health of everyone involved.

Chris Taylor - April 1, 2020

Former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson was expected to square off with Khabib Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC 249 on April 18. The pay-per-view event was originally slated to take place in Brooklyn, however due to the Covid-19 outbreak the location and venue was forced to be changed. A new location is still being sought after by the promotion as of this time.

Cole Shelton - April 1, 2020

Dustin Poirier believes Justin Gaethje would beat both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson in potential fights. Nurmagomedov and Ferguson were expected to fight at UFC 249 on April 18 but the champ withdrew due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ferguson called for “The Eagle” to be stripped, but could also fight Justin Gaethje on that card.

Cole Shelton - April 1, 2020

Tony Ferguson believes Khabib Nurmagomedov should be stripped of his lightweight title after withdrawing from UFC 249. On April 18, Ferguson and Nurmagomedov were expected to finally fight for the undisputed lightweight title in Brooklyn, New York. Yet, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nurmagomedov is stuck in Russia and earlier today announced he would be off the card. For “El Cucuy” he believes that means the champ should be stripped of his belt.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.