{"id":345778,"date":"2020-03-30T06:24:40","date_gmt":"2020-03-30T13:24:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/?p=345778"},"modified":"2020-03-30T06:24:40","modified_gmt":"2020-03-30T13:24:40","slug":"tony-ferguson-sends-message-to-hiding-khabib-nurmagomedov","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/mma-news\/ufc\/tony-ferguson-sends-message-to-hiding-khabib-nurmagomedov\/","title":{"rendered":"Tony Ferguson sends message to ‘hiding’ Khabib Nurmagomedov"},"content":{"rendered":"

Early on Monday morning, UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov announced that he is stranded in Russia<\/a> due to the country’s new travel bans, thrusting his fight with Tony Ferguson into jeopardy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were training in the AKA without any information regarding the fight, where and how is it going to happen,\u201d Nurmagomedov stated on Instagram, updating on the status of his fight Ferguson. \u201cThen the UFC told us that the fight 100% isn\u2019t happening in the States and they said that 99% that it will happen in Emirates, Abu Dhabi. After talking to the UFC we decided to fly over to the Emirates a month before the fight. I don\u2019t remember the exact date, it was 19th or 20th, I\u2019ll have to check. But when we landed in Emirates we learned that they are going to close borders and no one will be able to leave or fly in, with the exception of residents. So we had to fly back to Russia. Currently, I am in Dagestan and I am training and preparing every day. Although I don\u2019t know what am I preparing for because after we came to Russia we also learned that the borders are going to be locked. Same as in the States, the same as in Europe, Emirates, everywhere. The whole world is in quarantine right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo now I am hearing that they are looking to organize it with or without me,\u201d Nurmagomedov added. \u201cOK, go ahead. Everyone should follow the laws. I am not against it, I know that fighters need to feed their families and pay their bills. I know how hard it is for the fighter. Unless they fight they aren\u2019t getting any money. I am even hearing that they are looking for an opponent for Tony because he is in the States and I am here in Russia. But I am here not on my own will. The UFC told me that this fight 100% isn\u2019t happening in the USA, and even if it\u2019s not happening in the Emirates it will happen on this side of Atlantic. We discussed everything with the UFC. By that time I already spent 5 weeks of hard training in the AKA. Now I don\u2019t really know what\u2019s going on. It\u2019s really hard to train and cut your weight when the whole world is locked down and you don\u2019t know what you are preparing for. But it\u2019s not the first time I face obstacles in my career.\u201d<\/p>\n

It did not take long for Tony Ferguson to react to his foe being stuck in Russia. He doesn’t seem willing to let the matchup go just yet.<\/p>\n

\n

April 18 Is Getting Close @TeamKhabib<\/a> & You\u2019re Hiding In Russia. Travel Bans Will Not Prevent Me From Whoopin\u2019 That Ass. Don\u2019t Use It As An Excuse To Back Out. You Have Been Sent Many Locations, Send Us 1. Still My Bitch #DefendorVacate<\/a> MF ⚾️ -CSO- 🇺🇸🏆🇲🇽 #ufc249<\/a> @ufc<\/a> @danawhite<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/TVQH4mnG2e<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) March 30, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n