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Ultimate Fighting Championship
Martial ArtsMixed Martial Arts

UFC 249: Dana White confirms location is ‘99 per cent’ set for Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson

  • UFC president White says lightweight title fight will be ‘a closed event’ but ‘will happen on that date on pay-per-view’
  • White adds that Khabib is back in native Russia but would not reveal the card’s new location

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UFC president Dana White separates lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and opponent Tony Ferguson at a press conference in March. Photo: Zuffa LLC
Andrew McNicol

UFC president Dana White says the location for the coronavirus-stricken UFC 249 next month is “99 per cent done”.

White, who announced last week that three of the promotion’s forthcoming cards required relocation, confirmed the April 19 event would not be held in its original Brooklyn venue but insisted that its lightweight title headliner between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson “is happening”.

White also revealed that Khabib (28-0) has returned to his native Russia – fuelling rumours of a home fight – and that there would be a full undercard despite logistical complications.

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“Trust me, Khabib has been telling me every day, ‘send location’. I have it. It’s 99.9 per cent [confirmed]. On April 18, we are having this fight,” White told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.

In a separate interview via Instagram Live, White told Yahoo! Sports: “How many times do I got to say this is happening? Khabib [vs] Tony is on, April 18, it’s happening. I do [know the new location] but I’m not ready to tell you yet.”

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“There aren’t going to be any fans there,” he added. “This thing is going to be a closed event. Everybody who is going to be involved in this thing is going to be involved because they want to be involved.”

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