Tony Ferguson News

Christopher Taylor - April 6, 2020

Dana White has confirmed that the winner of UFC 249’s new main event between Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson will receive the next shot at Khabib Nurmagomedov. ‘The Eagle’ was originally slated to put his undisputed UFC lightweight world title on the line against Ferguson in the April 18 headliner. However, due to travel restrictions, the undefeated champion was forced to withdraw from the card while remaining in Russia.

Thomas Taylor - April 6, 2020

It’s official: Justin Gaethje has stepped in to fight Tony Ferguson for the interim lightweight title in the main event of UFC 249, replacing undisputed lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. As expected, this announcement generated a wide range of reactions from fighters, fans, and members of the media alike. See some of the early reactions to this Ferguson vs. Gaethje fight at UFC 249 below.

Tom Taylor - April 6, 2020

Tony Ferguson will officially battle Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC 249 on April 18. Both fighters have signed their contracts for the fight. The pair will collide for the interim lightweight title in the card’s main event. UFC President Dana White announced this news on Twitter on Monday.

Tom Taylor - April 6, 2020

The UFC is reportedly very close to locking down a location for UFC 249. On Monday morning ESPN reported that the promotion is closing in on a potential location for the event. ESPN’s report didn’t reveal that location, but pointed to the West Coast of the United States, and specified that “tribal land” — which is outside the jurisdiction of state athletic commissions — is a likely possibility.

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.

Natasha Hooper - April 2, 2020

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz believes fans will soon have all the answers regarding his fighter’s apparent withdrawal from UFC 249. The undefeated champion, Nurmagomedov was expected to defend his title against Tony Ferguson in the main event of UFC 249 on April 18. The final card and location are yet to be finalised due to the ongoing coronavirus. The situation was complicated further as Khabib Nurmagomedov was stranded in his home country of Russia due to a nationwide travel ban.

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

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.

Natasha Hooper - April 1, 2020

Tony Ferguson has reacted to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s apparent withdrawal from UFC 249. Multiple UFC events have been postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, Dana White has been putting in his best efforts to ensure UFC 249 on April 18 still takes place. The event was scheduled to feature lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov defend his belt against Tony Ferguson. The pair have been booked to throw down four times in the past, yet none of those proposed bouts ever came to fruition.

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.

Adam Martin - March 31, 2020

The opening betting odds have been released for a potential lightweight main event at UFC 249 between top contenders Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje. With UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov likely unable to compete at UFC 249 due to travel restrictions stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, the UFC is now considering a new main event between Ferguson and Gaethje, two of the best lightweights in the world. It’s unknown at this point if this replacement fight would be for an interim title or if it would just a five-round main event.

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.

Cole Shelton - March 30, 2020

Tyron Woodley continues to call for a fight with Colby Covington but says he’s also interested in taking on Tony Ferguson. On Monday morning, Khabib Nurmagomedov announced he is stuck in Russia and UFC 249 would most likely go on without him. Immediately, reports came out that Justin Gaethje was offered to scrap “El Cucuy.” Several other notable names also put their name in the hat. But, perhaps the most surprising is former UFC welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley saying he’ll fight Ferguson if the Covington bout doesn’t happen.

Adam Martin - March 30, 2020

The sportsbooks have revealed the odds on who will replace Khabib Nurmagomedov against Tony Ferguson in the main event of UFC 249. Nurmagomedov revealed on Monday that he is stuck in Russia and likely will not be able to compete at UFC 249, which is set to take place on April 18 at a location that still has not been revealed to the public. That leaves Ferguson without a dance partner for the main event, and now the sportsbooks are taking bets on who that may be.

Adam Martin - March 30, 2020

UFC lightweight contender Tony Ferguson has reportedly been offered a fight against Justin Gaethje if Khabib Nurmagomedov cannot fight at UFC 249. Nurmagomedov said on Monday that he is stuck in Russia and, at this point, is not confident he will be able to leave his home country to fight at UFC 249, which is scheduled to take place April 18 at a location to-be-determined. With Nurmagomedov seemingly out of action, it leaves his opponent Ferguson without a dance partner. But perhaps not for much longer.

Tom Taylor - March 30, 2020

Early on Monday morning, UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov announced that he is stranded in Russia due to the country’s new travel bans, thrusting his fight with Tony Ferguson into jeopardy. “We were training in the AKA without any information regarding the fight, where and how is it going to happen,” Nurmagomedov stated on Instagram, updating on the status of his fight Ferguson. “Then the UFC told us that the fight 100% isn’t happening in the States and they said that 99% that it will happen in Emirates, Abu Dhabi. After talking to the UFC we decided to fly over to the Emirates a month before the fight. I don’t remember the exact date, it was 19th or 20th, I’ll have to check. But when we landed in Emirates we learned that they are going to close borders and no one will be able to leave or fly in, with the exception of residents. So we had to fly back to Russia. Currently, I am in Dagestan and I am training and preparing every day. Although I don’t know what am I preparing for because after we came to Russia we also learned that the borders are going to be locked. Same as in the States, the same as in Europe, Emirates, everywhere. The whole world is in quarantine right now.”

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.