UFC 249 showdown between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson offered ‘lifeline’ by Belarus
UFC president Dana White is determined to stage the event despite the coronavirus pandemic
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Belarus could step in to save UFC 249.
UFC president Dana White is determined for the marquee event to take place despite the global coronavirus pandemic.
The card was initially set to be headlined by a lightweight title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson, only for the former to pull out of the fight when he travelled back to his native Russia amid the ongoing pandemic.
That has seen White attempt to find a new opponent for Ferguson, although Nurmagomedov may be enticed into fighting after Belarus, a country which borders Russia and has not postponed sporting events, offered to stage the contest.
Maxim Korolkov of Belarus Federation of Hand to Hand Fighting & MMA told Russia’s Sport 24: “We offered specific arenas which could host the UFC. One of them is the Minsk Arena which can hold 15,000 people.
“We received an oral reply [from the UFC]. Firstly, we were thanked for the offer. Secondly, our proposal was included as a conditional ‘plan B’.
“They already have venues for this tournament. Dana White does not want to report this, but they have well-developed options.
“In any case, they are grateful and ready to consider our option with Minsk for future UFC tournaments.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments