Khabib Nurmagomedov has shared a potential timeline for his mixed martial arts comeback as he expects a war when he sets his foot to the Octagon later this year.
The reigning UFC lightweight champion was scheduled to defend his world title at UFC 249 against number one contender, Tony Ferguson, in a clash dubbed as the ‘most anticipated fight in UFC history.’
But for a fifth time, the dream lightweight matchup was scrapped as Nurmagomedov is stranded in Russia amid the coronavirus pandemic, forcing the promotion to look for a replacement to battle Feguson in the fight card’s main event.
With Khabib out of the equation, the UFC booked Justin Gaethje vs Tony Ferguson for the interim lightweight title to no avail as the pay-per-view event was eventually postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Today we got a call from the highest level you can go at Disney and the highest level of ESPN. One thing that I’ve said since we’ve started our relationship and partnership with ESPN is that it’s been an incredible one. It’s been an amazing partnership.
“ESPN has been very, very good to us, and the powers that be there asked me to stand down and not do this event next Saturday,” the UFC president announced last week.
Not Too Far
There is no exact date on when the MMA competition will be back but the UFC 249 cancellation sparked hope that the Khabib vs Ferguson title bout might be booked for a sixth time.
“We will be the first sport back. ‘Fight Island’ is real. It’s a real thing. The infrastructure’s being built right now, and that’s really going to happen and it will be on ESPN,” White teased.
If the Fight Island happens next month, MMA fans may still not see the undisputed 155-pound champ in action as he is looking to return to the Octagon this fall.
“But until September, it’s not too far, though it’s hard to believe everything will end by September, but yet one serious person said: That in the peaceful time (sic) you have to prepare for war,” Khabib wrote on Instagram.
Undefeated
The American Kickboxing Academy standout remains undefeated in his professional MMA career, winning all his 28 fights including 12 straight victories in the UFC to tie Ferguson for the longest and most active win streak in the lightweight class.
Nurmagomedov is coming off a third-round submission of Dustin Poirier, when they headlined the UFC 242 fight card in Saudi Arabia last year.
His biggest win to date was a fourth-round submission of Conor McGregor at UFC 229, which recorded the highest pay-per-view buys in the UFC history.
Will Khabib remain unbeaten this year? Who do you think the Russian champ should fight on his UFC return? Would you like to see Khabib vs Ferguson or Khabib vs McGregor II?
(Featured Image Source: Instagram/ Khabib Nurmagomedov)