UFC

UFC drops huge hint that UFC 249 will go ahead despite coronavirus pandemic

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Dana White had earlier said he was unsure about UFC 249 taking place on April 18

The coronavirus pandemic has affected the UFC majorly with three fight card getting postponed.

The last event to take place was UFC Brasil, in an empty arena, and there have been doubts about UFC 249 taking place too.

Mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov gives a press conference in Moscow on November 26, 2018. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) (Photo credit should read KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)

That sees Khabib Nurmagomedov defend his UFC Lightweight title against Tony Ferguson. The pair have been scheduled to meet four times in the past but that fight has never taken place.

Dana White, last week, had confirmed that the fight would go ahead despite postponing three other events.

However, he was speaking recently and claimed he didn’t know what was going to happen. The fight is just a month away from its stipulated date, but the UFC seems to have hinted that the match will take place.

Khabib Nurmagomedov (L) faces off against Tony Ferguson (R) during a press conference (Digital Trends)

The UFC posted a photo with the caption “FOUR WEEKS #UFC249” and shared a photo of Khabib with Ferguson at their press conference.

White was also in the middle as Khabib kicked Ferguson’s interim Lightweight belt off the floor.

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Risky business for White

The UFC president sounded confident just last week regarding the fight taking place but that changed recently.

There are restrictions as to how many people can be in a room, and it will be interesting to see if UFC 249 does go ahead.

UFC President Dana White (R) speaks with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images)

One option, which White was thinking about, is taking the fight to another country. However, there are several travel restrictions too, and most countries are in the midst of fighting the pandemic.

The health and safety of the fighters, fans and staff was also a priority for White. The UFC president has a tough job on his hands and postponing Khabib vs Ferguson could be on the cards if things don’t improve.

It almost feels like the match-up is cursed as some issue always crops up when they are supposed to meet.

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Saiyed Adeem Karim

Ditching a corporate job to follow a dream isn't easy, but when football comes calling, who can say no? Been following the beautiful game since 1998. Liverpool addict, F1 fanatic!