Dana White to unveil UFC 249 card after champ drops out; deal appears close on new site
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Dana White said the UFC 249 card will be unveiled Monday amid Khabib Nurmagomedov’s drop out as the company reportedly found a site on the West Coast of the U.S. to host the event.
It’s unclear where the site will be. UFC is still finalizing the location and is hoping to close in the coming days, ESPN reported Sunday. UFC 249 is set for April 18.
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The company has reportedly considered hosting the event on tribal lands since they do not adhere to state athletic commission policies.
The California State Athletic Commission announced last week that all combat sports would be canceled through May. The group said it made its decision based on guidelines set forth by Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Health.
“The Commission didn't take this decision lightly and understands the potential economic loss to promoters and the industry of combative sports,” the CSAC said. “We had to weigh the best interest of our fighters and the community around us.”
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TONY FERGUSON SAYS UFC CHAMP KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV SHOULD BE 'STRIPPED OF HIS TITLE'
Another question mark surrounding the event is who the main event will feature.
Tony Ferguson was supposed to fight Nurmagomedov for the UFC lightweight title. Nurmagomedov said last week he wasn’t going to fight because of the coronavirus. He had flown back to his native Russia after UFC moved the 249 fight from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
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According to ESPN, the potential for Ferguson to fight Justin Gaethje was not a done deal.
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“It doesn't matter who we have. We're gonna try to make this thing go,” Ferguson told ESPN. “At least some of the people in the world have a little bit of hope. The guys that are really doing it are the doctors and the nurses and the people taking care of everybody. If we can do our little bit of part to try and make something happen, I'm down with that.”