UFC boss Dana White has a location for UFC 249: Khabib vs Ferguson
UFC president Dana White has a way of often getting things the way he wants them, and now it seems that UFC 249 has a location.
It has been a tumultuous time for MMA. The UFC and other promotions have been forced to cancel events due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. However UFC 249, which features a lightweight title bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson, has remained on the cards. White has been steadfast, saying that the fight will happen despite arenas shutting down. Khabib vs Ferguson has been booked four times previously, with each attempt at booking the fight failing in the end due to unforeseen circumstances.
However now it seems that there is a location for UFC 249 to take place. In a recent interview with Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole, White confessed to knowing where the event will go down.
“I do (know where it is),” White said on Instagram Live. “But I’m not ready to tell you yet. I know lots of things. … There’s not going to be any fans there. It’s going to be a closed event.”
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As of now there are no confirmed reports. While the situation has been unfolding,
White snapped at critics of the UFC’s handling of the pandemic last week. Despite this, he claims that the health and safety of UFC staff and fighters will be high priority, and that no one who works on the event will be forced to do so.
“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,” White said. “Believe me: We didn’t just start thinking about safety when the coronavirus popped up. Health and safety, these are things that normal businesses that are out there right now don’t necessarily have to think about on a daily basis. Health and safety is something we’ve been doing long before the coronavirus and we’ll be doing it long after the coronavirus is gone. This is just normal shit for us.”
Initial speculations and rumours hint at UFC 249 being held in the Gulf region, perhaps The United Aram Emirates – Where Nurmagomedov last defended his title. There have also been rumours of locations from The Democratic Republic of the Congo to The Philippines. Regardless, it seems that White has found a place.
