UFC president Dana White says his doubters will once again be in for a surprise on April 18.
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is scheduled to put his gold on the line against Tony Ferguson next month. The title bout was originally set to be held inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Those plans changed when an executive order was put in place in the state of New York, limiting gatherings for events in response to the coronavirus pandemic. After the CDC put in new guidelines shrinking that number to just 10, the event had additional hurdles to get booked in the United States.
White Doubles Down On UFC 249 Status
The UFC boss spoke to TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter and he dared his detractors to doubt the status of UFC 249 (h/t MMAJunkie.com).
“If you’re a fan, if you’re a media member, you’d stop doubting, I would imagine,” White told TSN. “But maybe not. We’ll see.”
White went on to say that he can pull off all the stops to make any event happen as long as he can keep up with the CDC’s requirements.
“I have my own arena,” White said. “I have my own production. I have everything. I have everything you need to put on events. So there isn’t much that I can’t pull off.”
White has said that Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson could take place outside the United States. Khabib’s father suggested that Dubai is the frontrunner to play host to the event. White responded by saying all available avenues are being explored.
The UFC had to postpone three of their events. UFC London, UFC Columbus, and UFC Portland were all shut down after the UFC couldn’t pull off shows under new CDC guidelines.
Do you think the UFC will be able to pull off Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson on the original April 18 date?
