Dana White Hopes to Book Nurmagomedov vs. Gaethje at Fight Island This Summer

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  The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s mysterious Fight Island could have its first blockbuster bout in the coming months.

UFC president Dana White told ESPN 1000 Chicago that he hopes to book a lightweight title unification bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje at the venue sometime this summer. A location for Fight Island has not been revealed.

"I don't know if it [Nurmagomedov vs. Gaethje] will be the first one, but it will be on Fight Island, unless miraculously the world comes back together faster than I think it's gonna,” White said.

White wants to have Fight Island operational by next month. However, it’s unlikely that the championship bout would take place in June, as Gaethje needs time to rest and recently said sometime around August or September would be ideal.

"Hopefully it [Fight Island] will be done by mid-June, and I could put on a fight that weekend that it's done or end of June,” White said.

Fight Island was designed to help international fighters, who might have otherwise had trouble getting into the U.S. due to the coronavirus pandemic, get bouts with the Las Vegas-based promotion. Nurmagomedov has been stranded in Russia due to travel restrictions designed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and was unable to face Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 as originally planned. The Dagestani champion does not normally fight during the summer months after observing Ramadan but recently hinted he would be willing to return as soon as as soon as July. He has not competed since submitting Dustin Poirier in the UFC 242 headliner last September.

Gaethje stepped in for Nurmagomedov at UFC 249 and put on an impressive performance, defeating Ferguson via fifth-round technical knockout to claim the interim lightweight crown. The Genesis Training Center product has won four straight fights in the Octagon — all by knockout or technical knockout.

White dismissed the possibility of Gaethje facing McGregor after the Irish star called out the newly-crowned champion on social media Monday.

"Anytime Conor McGregor is fighting, it's exciting, but yeah, I'm very excited for Gaethje versus Khabib," White said. "I think stylistically it's a great matchup. I'm looking forward to it.”