Two top MMA fighters known for their heated rivalry aren’t letting the coronavirus stop them from sparring without gloves.
Irish prizefighter Conor McGregor slammed current lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov after he bailed out of a highly anticipated fight with challenger Tony Ferguson that was set for mid-April. The fight is the 249th edition of the UFC series, which began on Nov. 12, 1993, with a bout between Royce Gracie and Gerard Gordeau at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver.
“The fact of this matter is, both Tony and Khabib where engaged in a game of chicken here towards the fight bell. With Khabib chickening out first,” McGregor tweeted Thursday. “Khab scurried out of the U.S to home, and amid the crisis. Very high risk. Congrats Tony.”
The fact of this matter is, both Tony and Khabib where engaged in a game of chicken here towards the fight bell. With Khabib chickening out first. Making it 3-2 in pullouts in Tony’s favour. Khab scurried out of the U.S to home, and amid the crisis. Very high risk.
Congrats Tony.— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 2, 2020
The animosity between McGregor and Nurmagomedov dates back to October 2018 when McGregor lost via fourth-round submission to Nurmagomedov in one of the highest-profile fights in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. After the loss, the fight continued between the two men’s corner teams and escalated into a massive brawl that spilled into the audience and left a black mark on the sport.
UFC President Dana White has attempted to keep prospects of the fight alive in the face of sports around the world, canceling seasons and furloughing staff during the coronavirus pandemic.
White had hoped to stage the fight in the United Arab Emirates after original plans to hold the match in Brooklyn, New York, were scuttled when New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo placed the state on “pause” with the aim of slowing the spread of the virus.
On Wednesday, Nurmagomedov announced through Instagram plans to forgo the fight, citing the unprecedented measures taken by governments around the world.
“I understand everything, and I’m definitely more upset than you to cancel the fight,” Nurmagomedov wrote. “Probably like all others, I had many plans after the fight, but I can’t control it all. Take care of yourself and put yourself in my shoes.”
Nurmagomedov, who hails from the Dagestan region of Russia, is the first Muslim to win a UFC belt and was rated the No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in all of MMA as of August 2019.
McGregor has led calls for his home country of Ireland to install a “total lockdown” of the country via an impassioned video he released on March 24.
