The Takedown | UFC 249: should Dana White pull the plug on Khabib vs Tony Ferguson or hold out for Conor McGregor?
- UFC president White’s super fight looks like it should be in the dictionary under the word ‘cursed’
- Nurmagomedov is stuck in Russia, and Ferguson vs Justin Gaethje would not fit the bill in terms of star power
There’s a commonly used phrase in the world of psychology explaining the process in which an individual holds onto a previously chosen course of action even though it appears destined to fail.
Dana White has found himself stuck in a textbook case of entrapment when it comes to UFC 249. Originally set to take place in New York on April 18, the fight was supposed to feature lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov defending his belt against American Tony Ferguson.
There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s start from the top. This bout between Nurmagomedov and Ferguson is cursed, there is no way around it, as it had already been axed four times previously for various ailments to both fighters and can’t catch any type of a break.
In 2015 Nurmagomedov withdrew with a rib injury and then the following year Ferguson had an issue with one of his lungs. While training for the scheduled showing in 2017, Nurmagomedov developed a kidney problem, and when they were set to square off in April 2018, Ferguson tore a ligament in his knee – get this – tripping over a cable at a media event. I don’t know who created the voodoo doll for this tilt, but that is some fierce black magic at work.
The coronavirus appeared to be the next pin in the doll on this planned fight, but White be damned, he was going to put it on come hell or high water. White announced he was moving the fight to Abu Dhabi, and it would be a “closed door” event. Ambitious, yes, practical, not so much.