UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson will fight top contender Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223 on April 7 at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., according to Dana White.
The UFC president confirmed the matchup during a Wednesday morning appearance on Toucher & Rich, a popular Boston sports radio show on 98.5 The Sports Hub hosted by Fred Toettcher and Rich Shertenlieb.
During a conversation about current lightweight champion Conor McGregor’s future and the state of the 155-pound division, White was asked if Ferguson vs. Nurmagomedov was going to happen.
“Yes. That fight is going to happen,” White said. When asked if it would take place in Brooklyn, White also said, “yes.”
White did not specify where on the card the bout would take place. It would presumably serve as the main event but the UFC has yet to make an official announcement.
McGregor won the lightweight championship when he knocked out Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in November 2016 yet the Irish superstar never attempted to defend the title. McGregor fought only once in 2017 but it was a boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr. McGregor choosing to briefly step out of the Octagon and into the squared circle resulted in the UFC deciding to introduce an interim lightweight belt.
Ferguson and Nurmagomedov were originally slated to face one another with the interim title on the line at UFC 209 last March, however Nurmagomedov was forced to withdraw one day prior to the bout due to health issues stemming from a poor weight cut.
Instead, Ferguson (23–3) went on to win the interim strap at UFC 216 this past October, submitting Kevin Lee with a triangle choke. Ferguson is riding a 10-fight winning streak that dates back to 2013.
Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov (25–0) overcame his weight-cutting issues and is coming off a destruction of Edson Barboza at UFC 219 in December.
No official word has been made regarding whether Ferguson and Nurmagomedov will be competing for Ferguson’s interim title or for the undisputed title if the UFC decides to strip McGregor of his belt.
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