Nurmagomedov Eyes September Return Amid Uncertainty Regarding COVID-19 Pandemic

In an ideal world, Khabib Nurmagomedov would like to return to active competition by September.

But like the rest of society, the UFC lightweight champion is hindered by the uncertainty brought by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Nurmagomedov acknowledged that his timeline is tentative in an Instagram post on Sunday.

“But September is not so far away, even though it’s hard to believe that everything will end by September,” he wrote (text translated via Google Translate). “But still one serious person said that in peacetime it is necessary to prepare for war. How are your days going?”

Nurmagomedov was supposed to face Tony Ferguson in a long-anticipated bout at UFC 249 on April 18. However, “The Eagle” ended up stranded in Russia due to travel restrictions as the promotion scramble to move the event to the United States. Briefly, Justin Gaethje was tabbed to replace Nurmagomedov as UFC 249 was temporarily relocated to Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, California. That plan was short lived, as Disney and ESPN executives ultimately told UFC president Dana White not to proceed with the fight card.

UFC events are currently suspended indefinitely. The silver lining to the postponement is that perhaps Nurmagomedov and Ferguson can be rebooked at a later date, although nothing is certain at this point in time. The Dagestani grappler last fought at UFC 242 in September, when he submitted Dustin Poirier in the third round of their headlining bout in Dubai.

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А ведь до сентября не так уж и далеко, хоть самому и тяжело верится, что все закончится к сентябрю, но все же один серьёзный человек сказал: что в мирное время надо к войне готовится - А как ваши дни проходят?

A post shared by Khabib Nurmagomedov (@khabib_nurmagomedov) on Apr 12, 2020 at 7:44am PDT

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