The big news on Friday is that the UFC 209 co-main event between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson has once again been cancelled. Khabib was hospitalized “due to weight management medical issues,” and has since been discharged, but the fight will not go on as scheduled.
Incredibly, Ferguson has not been removed from the card yet. There is even a chance that he’ll be fighting Michael Johnson, the only man to defeat him in UFC competition. This fight is far from official, but a host of on-site journalists, including ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Adam Hill, and MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani have details on this ongoing story.
“UFC is furiously working to find a replacement for Nurmagomedov so Ferguson can stay on card.” I’m told by a source.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) March 3, 2017
Tony Ferguson isn’t off the card. A Michael Johnson bout is in the works, though there is work to do as far as sanctioning the fight #UFC209
— Adam Hill (@AdamHillLVRJ) March 3, 2017
Michael Johnson has confirmed to the Review-Journal that he has accepted the fight and the process is underway to making it happen.
— Adam Hill (@AdamHillLVRJ) March 3, 2017
Me: What do you weigh right now?
Michael Johnson: Close enough to make it happen.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) March 3, 2017
He’s still processing what just happened. Lot more involved than just moving on to the next. We sometimes forget that. https://t.co/ELvgGVMt0Q
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 3, 2017
UFC working with NSAC to create options. At end of day, Ferguson has to agree to one. Weird situation for him. Stakes completely different.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) March 3, 2017
Johnson (17-11) last fought in November, losing by kimura to (of all people) Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 205. “The Menace” scored a vicious KO of Dustin Poirier in his UFC Hidalgo main event last September, but has otherwise lost three out of his last four bouts. His first fight with Tony Ferguson happened in May 2012, with Johnson taking the unanimous decision win.
There’s a whole lot going on here. We don’t know if Ferguson is going to agree to a completely different opponent at the last minute, if the Nevada Athletic Commission will sanction it, whether the fight would be at 155 or at a catchweight, so while this fight may possibly happen, that doesn’t mean it’s probably. Either way, Bloody Elbow will keep you posted with any updates on this crazy eve of UFC 209.
About the author
