Khabib Nurmagomedov's team respond to fears UFC fight vs Tony Ferguson is off

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s camp has denied his title clash with Tony Ferguson is in danger of being scrapped amid a worsening coronavirus pandemic.

The UFC 249 headliner has been eagerly anticipated by fans who have seen four scheduled fights between the two lightweights fall through in the last five years.

Dana White famously said in 2018 he would never book the fight again after a freak injury to Ferguson had forced him to scrap the contest just days before UFC 223.

UFC 249 is currently scheduled to take place in New York, but Governor Andrew Cuomo has now issued a state-wide ban on gatherings of over 500 people.

The fight night, which is a pay-per-view event, will now have to be conducted behind closed doors, postponed or moved to a different location to save on costs.

In light of the speculation the fight was on the verge of being scrapped again, the lightweight champion’s manager Ali Abdelaziz issued a brief statement on Twitter.

He said: ‘Guys Khabib Nurmagomedov vs sunglasses (Tony Ferguson) is happening April 18th. UFC always find a way with or without fans this fight is going down people at home need entertainment.’

‘We’ve talked to everybody about this. Every time we put on an event, we always go overboard.

‘In the over 25 years that the UFC has been around, there’s never been a death or serious injury.’

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