Cancelled again…
If you’re not convinced that the universe will implode if Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson fight each other then you should be now. Reports have just come to light that UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is stranded in Russia.
Yeah, that’s right. Khabib Nurmagomedov will not be fighting Tony Ferguson at UFC 249…
It’s the fifth time these two have been scheduled to do battle and the fifth time it’s been cancelled.
While the initial emotional reaction screams “Why did Khabib go to Russia NOW?!” or “Never schedule this fight again!” some serious questions do need to be asked. Mainly, should UFC 249 go forward without it’s biggest star?
Sure, the card can still be sold with a solid headliner. Tony Ferguson versus a burlap sack will be entertaining. But in the midst of this sickness sweeping the globe, putting on this card at all seems foolhardy. Now that Khabib is out it makes even less sense to go forward.
Dana White is a stubborn businessman, always has been and always will be. But even he should understand that a fight of such magnitude should be preserved. Khabib Nurmagomedov versus Tony Ferguson is such an exciting fight that putting it on hold seems like a smarter move. At least smarter than having Tony Ferguson risk getting injured in a replacement match. That would throw everything off, potentially delaying their match until God knows when.
A late replacement like Justin Gaethje against Tony Ferguson is definitely a fun fight. Gaethje could definitely win that fight. But with orders to minimize gatherings as much as possible, forcing UFC 249 through at this point seems counterproductive. Besides, why scrap a legendary fight like Khabib vs Tony when you can simply delay it by a few weeks?
First you lose the venue. Then one half of your headliner is stranded in another country. Obviously the stars are not aligning perfectly for this one. We could all use a good fight to break up the boredom of watching Netflix all day. But delaying the battle between the two heated rivals in Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson just makes all the sense in the world.
There are still other cards that were postponed before UFC 249. Why not set up a card with those fights and place it in the slot UFC 249 would have filled? While it still is a bit much to force a fight card during this moment, at least some fights get to move forward.
Plus, YOU DON’T HAVE TO SCRAP THE MOST EXCITING FIGHT OF 2020!
Just a suggestion of course.
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Managing Editor at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.
Header image courtesy of Instagram
