Interim UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson will finally meet the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov inside the Octagon at UFC 223 on Saturday 7th April at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The fight has previously been scheduled to take place three times before falling through due to injuries and weight cutting issues.
Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson (23–3) submitted Kevin Lee with a triangle choke at UFC 216 to capture the interim UFC lightweight title. Ferguson is currently riding an incredible ten-fight winning streak in the lightweight division. El Cucuy has picked up eight post-fight bonuses in his UFC career including six Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night awards.
Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov (25-0) put on an absolutely brutal display against Edson Barboza at UFC 219. The Russian brutalised Barboza with his ground and pound over three rounds earning himself Performance of the Night. Nurmagomedov pulled out of his last scheduled bout with Ferguson at UFC 209 after a disastrous weight cut sent him to the hospital.
Current UFC lightweight champion Connor McGregor hasn’t fought in Mixed Martial Arts competition since he beat Eddie Alverez for the title at UFC 205 in 2016. McGregor’s next bout was a boxing super fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr in 2017.