UFC Fight News 2016: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson Planned for April Fight Card
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has traditionally lined up a fight every April, and this year is no different. The expected fight card, which supposedly is scheduled for the 16th of April, is going to feature a lightweight bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson.
This planned event is some sort of a contingency for the UFC that has been recently plagued by several withdrawals and pullouts from their stars, particularly in UFC 197. Ferguson was originally lined up to fight Michael Johnson, but the latter backed out due to a shoulder injury.
The Russian Nurmagomedov has been out of the Octagon in almost two years, the last time he fought was when he defeated Rafael dos Anjos in April of 2014. He was originally scheduled to fight Ferguson in December for the "The Ultimate Fighter" co-main event, but it didn't push through as well because of a rib injury he suffered during training.
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So this fight will serve as the continuance of their failed bout back in December, but the odds are no longer the same, especially for the Russian mixed martial artist. Although he could have been a slight favorite in December, this fight is now in Ferguson's favor, considering that he's with a lot of confidence after winning seven straight fights. While Nurmagomedov will still be a very tough opponent, especially if one looks at his impressive win against dos Anjos, Ferguson is the more active fighter.
Since this bout will be fought in the lightweight division, the winner is expected to be given a shot at contending for the title, which interestingly will be contested by dos Anjos and Conor McGregor in UFC 196 on March 5, 2016 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ferguson is currently ranked fifth in the division, while the undefeated Nurmagomedov is ranked second.
