Dana White Doubles Down and Guarantees Khabib vs Ferguson Will Happen Despite Recent Delays
By Evan Wolff
In times like these, where information seems to change by the day, it's less than ideal to make guarantees about future plans. That's especially true when discussing sports, with many leagues suspended indefinitely or at least until early May.
That hasn't stopped UFC president from attempting to protect his future cards as vigorously as he can. After postponing his next three events, the next one to go would be the Khabib/Ferguson matchup, but Dana White has reassured fans that it will still go on, no matter what.
White guarantees Khabib v Ferguson will happen on April 18. “We're hoping this all clears up by April, and this fight is going to happen. Whatever it takes, probably not in the United States, but this fight is going to happen."
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 16, 2020
It is a bold claim to make, especially when paired with the statement that the fight will most likely not take place in the United States. Should the card be moved, how will the fighters get around the travel restrictions? Will fighters feel safe traveling in the middle of a pandemic? These are the tough questions White is facing around one of his most heavily-anticipated fights in years.
“We have no choice now but to postpone these fights. So we’re postponing the next three events, but Tony Ferguson versus Khabib, April 18, is still on and that will still happen.”@danawhite joined @SportsCenter to address the postponement of upcoming UFC events. pic.twitter.com/FxKOAKnOEv
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 16, 2020
While it is commendable that the UFC is listening to the recommendations of the CDC and not putting people in needless danger, it is still extremely optimistic that the situation will calm enough to hold a UFC fight in mid-April.