Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson will square off behind closed doors at UFC 249, Dana White reveals

Khabib is scheduled to put his lightweight title on the line on April 18.
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Matt Davies24 March 2020

In what is regarded as the fight of the year, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson are to square off behind closed doors at UFC 249, Dana White has revealed.

After years in the making, the bout was finally confirmed for April 18 in Brooklyn but the outbreak of the coronavirus has had significant impacts on sport, leading many to speculate whether UFC 249 would go ahead.

While three UFC cards have already been postponed, White has now reassured the fight will take place as scheduled on April 18, although the venue is yet to be confirmed.

The event is also expected to include a full undercard.

Speaking live on Instagram, White revealed he knew where the fight would take place. He said: "I do [know] but I'm not ready to tell you yet. I know lots of things.

Khabib defeated Connor McGregor by submission in 2018
AP

"There's not going to be any fans there. It's going to be a closed event Trust me, Khabib has been telling me every day, 'Send location'. I have it. It's 99.9 per cent. On April 18, we are having this fight."

"Everybody who is going to be involved in this thing is going to be because they want to be, not because they have to be or they have to do anything.

"Believe me: We didn't just start thinking about safety when the coronavirus popped up.

"Health and safety are things that normal businesses that are out there right now don't necessarily have to think about on a daily basis.

"We've been doing this long before the coronavirus and we'll be doing it long after the coronavirus is gone. This is just normal for us."

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