UFC President Dana White (R) speaks with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images)
The MMA Gods don’t seem to want a fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson. The pair should meet at UFC 249 but the rise of the coronavirus has already affected several sporting events in the US.
Khabib vs Ferguson has been cancelled four times in the past, and the coronavirus could make it a fifth.
The NBA suspended its season after Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus. Major European leagues have suspended their competitions with some also being played behind closed doors.
President Donald Trump put place a ban on travel for 30-days, something that several other countries have also put up.
There virus can be spread easily and hosting such a big event with thousands of fans from across the globe is a big risk.
UFC president Dana White recently claimed that he wasn’t going to cancel UFC 249. He did say that the safety of the fans and fighters is a priority and doctors have been asked about the situation too.
However, that thought could be changing with all that is going on across the world. Travel bans is a huge issues, especially for fans that have bought tickets to the US or already got tickets for the fight.
One solution is placing the match behind closed doors, however, that wouldn’t provide the atmosphere without the fans.
There is a greater threat this weekend with the UFC fight night between Kevin Lee and Charles Oliviera hanging in the balance.
The match could be cancelled as the governor of the country’s capital has banned all large gatherings.
WWE faces a similar dilemma with WrestleMania in Tampa Bay. The city is set to meet later in the day to discuss the possible future of such big events.
The health and safety of every stakeholder involved is important but the UFC has some tough calls to make too.
The UFC has a packed schedule already with huge events every week. It isn’t like the UFC has one fight in the month and they can shift it to another vacant slot.
The growth of the promotion has seen fight nights and major UFC clashes take place all around the world.
Cancelling or postponing even one fight could have a huge effect on their schedule, but safety has to come first.
It would be a tough decision to take for the fans, but most big sporting events from across the world are doing the same.
UFC hasn’t made an official statement of postponing the Khabib vs Ferguson fight, but all signals suggest that this won’t take place in April, barring a miracle.
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