There are a lot of questions pertaining to UFC 249 after the event was cancelled by Disney and ESPN
Dana White shocked the world with the statement that UFC 249 was cancelled.
The UFC president wasn’t the one who pulled the plug though. White was speaking to Brett Okamoto and added that it was ESPN and Disney that called off the UFC event.
The fight was to be held on 18 April, but all UFC events are now cancelled until further notice. White was adamant that all safety measures were taken and he was ready to conduct the event, but the higher-ups didn’t give in to his demands.
The UFC president also spoke about getting his private island ready for fights, but that is a discussion for another time.
UFC 249 featured a huge main event with Khabib Nurmagomedov defending his Lightweight title against Tony Ferguson.
However, Khabib got stuck in Russia and was replaced by Justin Gaethje. An interim championship bout was to be done between Gaethje and Ferguson, but that is off too.
With no decision on when the UFC will return, the big question is what happens to Khabib and the rest of the stars?
Unfortunately, the UFC is not the WWE and we cannot have a triple threat match to decide who is the Lightweight champion.
First and foremost, Ferguson has to be compensated since he was ready for the fight, irrespective of who he faced.
The American went through a training camp and deserves some sort of compensation. The same argument could be made for Khabib too as the champion only pulled out recently.
However, the big talking point is about the main event and who gets a title shot. Ideally, when UFC 249 or whichever event takes place, it should be Khabib vs Ferguson for the title.
The pair have seen their fight called off five times now, and hopefully, we can see them fight finally.
The problem lies with Khabib as Ramadan starts in a couple of weeks, and he won’t be back in fighting shape till September.
Should the UFC star holding fights before say August, then we could see Ferguson vs Gaethje, but anything later than August and we should see Khabib vs Ferguson.
Gaethje was supposed to face Conor McGregor before this sudden match, and that should take place should Khabib vs Ferguson be pencilled in.
The American is a former belt-holder at WSOF and if Khabib vs Ferguson cannot be held soon, he should get a shot at Ferguson.
It would be a little harsh on Ferguson to not get a chance at Khabib. However, an interim fight between Gaethje and Ferguson is still great viewing.
Gaethje could face Khabib if he wins this fight for the undisputed title. However, Khabib should not be stripped of his title.
UFC is in a bit of a tight spot currently with all their fights cancelled for now. However, the one man who can get things going again is White, and hopefully, things improve all around the world regarding the coronavirus pandemic.
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