🥊 Will The Fight Still Go On?

UFC 249’s clash between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson is in jeopardy once again. But Dana White isn’t giving up yet. [View in browser]( In today’s FOX Sports Insider: The world keeps changing around Dana White, but he still has big plans for UFC 249 ... Shaq turns his kitchen into the world’s hottest club (while being safe) ... and with WrestleMania week upon us in full force, we’re celebrating appropriately. It looked for all the world like the final knockout combination, a one-two punch of a social media post from deepest Dagestan and a swiftly enacted piece of Kremlin legislation, apparently serving as the ultimate crushers of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s will to fight on regardless. Yet still, still, Dana White believes he can put on UFC 249. On Monday, Khabib Nurmagomedov revealed he is stuck in his homeland, having returned there recently in order to undertake final preparations for his long-awaited battle with Tony Ferguson, which was due to be UFC 249’s blockbuster headliner. [STORY IMAGE 1] He is stuck because, after initially being relatively spared from the COVID-19 crisis, Russia experienced a small surge of infections in the past days, forcing its government to implement the kind of restrictions that have become common elsewhere. Which means that the Russian borders are closed. Nurmagomedov isn’t getting out and, if it came to it, Ferguson isn’t getting in. The last part is worth mentioning because the card doesn’t have a confirmed venue yet, and the fighters, having had previously scheduled showdowns between them cancelled an incredible four times for various reasons of misfortune, would go anywhere to make this thing happen. They were supposed to do it at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, but they’d do it in Russia, they’d do it in the middle of the desert, they’d do it on an ocean liner in international waters. Most likely before the Russia shutdown, they were going to do it in the United Arab Emirates, in front of no fans, but where a show with minimal staff present could have been staged. That’s where Nurmagomedov tried to travel ahead of time, but returned to Russia when he learned the UAE was putting its own lockdown in place. [STORY IMAGE 2] “I am training and preparing every day, although I don't know what (I) am preparing for,” Nurmagomedov said. “After we came to Russia, we also learned that the borders are going to be locked. The whole world is in quarantine right now.” His words, and the latest news, could have been the cue for White to give up. He has, while being in self-isolation in Las Vegas, taken an entirely different approach to other sports organizations. The show, for White, must always go on, and he has done everything he can to put mixed martial arts back on television screens. He attempted to move former cards from Columbus and London to the UFC performance center in Vegas, before that idea got knocked back by Nevada authorities. This is the one he wanted, though, one of the biggest fight sheets in the company’s recent history. Nurmagomedov is a beast, never beaten and never truly bothered, with a superstar cache built further by his dominating victory over Conor McGregor in 2018. Ferguson is seen as the only guy who can really threaten him. A fight between them would do a monstrous number, because it is a great clash and for the obvious reasons regarding the absence of most other sporting entertainment. [STORY IMAGE 3] Now it’s done — or appears to be, anyway. But there was White on Monday, refusing to throw in the towel once more. “I woke up this morning and the whole world changed again,” White told fight podcast Heavyweight. “So, back to the drawing board, and we're figuring this out right now. As we're speaking right now, I have people working on this thing as we speak. Listen, I am absolutely (expletive) relentless, and I said that this fight is going to go on. And it will.” The UFC has a large stable of fighters, and there may still be some options if Nurmagomedov is unable to make the fight, which seems all but certain barring a major reversal in travel restrictions. MMA athletes pride themselves on their image of toughness, and nothing says tough more than stepping in to take on whoever at a couple of weeks’ notice. The UFC 249 co-headliner of Jessica Andrade v. Rose Namajunas would have some appeal, but for a real juicy topper, all-action slugger Justin Gaethje against Ferguson would effectively guarantee fireworks. [STORY IMAGE 4] But where? The Middle East’s availability is now uncertain. Florida has permitted WWE to stage WrestleMania within its borders but that organization’s Performance Center is based there. White is not giving up. Nor will he. “Know this,” wrote Yahoo Sports columnist Dan Wetzel. “White isn’t going to just give up due to Russian borders or the challenge of finding a new headliner or even a place willing to sanction the card. “He certainly isn’t going to stop trying despite a chorus of critics who think he should just shut down for the foreseeable future like virtually every other major sports enterprise.” White is indeed relentless. He doesn’t believe there is such a thing as an obstacle that can’t be overcome. He has money and leverage and no shortage of creativity. But he’s running out of options and running out of time. If he somehow, against all the odds and obstacles, manages to get the card on the air, it will have been one heck of a journey. If the fights can provide drama to match, it would be one heck of a show. [STORY IMAGE 5] Here’s what others have said ... Marc Raimondi, ESPN: “The one thing I don't want to see is Nurmagomedov getting blamed for this if it doesn't go down April 18. He was training in California when the state enacted a stay-at-home order. So, wisely, he left there and ultimately traveled home to Dagestan. At least there he could be with his family during this strange time. Several travel bans in Russia and elsewhere have messed with his plans. There was no doubt Nurmagomedov was working extremely hard for this fight. If it doesn't happen, it won't be the champ's fault.” Alan Dawson, Insider: “Renowned ESPN MMA presenter Ariel Helwani tweeted a poll to his 831,000 followers Tuesday asking which would be the best option for Ferguson — fighting Gaethje in the coming weeks, or waiting for the Nurmagomedov fight. The Nurmagomedov option was the overwhelming favorite with approximately 74% of the vote. That was until Conor McGregor's head coach John Kavanagh replied to Helwani. Kavanagh said simply: ‘Maybe there's a third option ...’. The option, it is implied, would be his fighter, McGregor, who once had a reputation of taking on all-comers.” Damon Martin, MMA Fighting: “Gaethje told MMA Fighting last week that he’s been training and attempting to keep his work schedule as normal as possible even in the midst of the global pandemic. ‘The gyms are closed but I went in, we had four people. Me, Drew Dober and both of our coaches, so it was four people in the gym,’ Gaethje said. ‘It’s been pretty normal for me. I go to the office. I have a treadmill downstairs so I can just put the work in on the treadmill. That’s the good thing about fighting. Really, it’s just cardio, and it’s easy to get cardio, and trying not to get lazy and trying not to eat all the food we got stocked up.’” [IN OTHER WORDS] - Good news, everyone! ESPN has moved up the release date for its 10-part Michael Jordan documentary, from June to April. [Phil Rosenthal at the Chicago Tribune has all the details.]( - There’s no time like the present to dig into MLB’s oddball past. [At Bleacher Report, Zachary D. Rymer runs through]( 10 of the most mind-blowing statistical oddities from baseball history. - In these “Work From Home” times, many people have turned to puzzles as a distraction. But what if we told you there was a puzzle people have spent years trying to solve, with a purported treasure on the line? [The Ringer’s John Gonzalez shares this riveting story.]( [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( The best club in the world right now is in Shaquille O’Neal’s kitchen. It has everything: beats, dancing, granite countertops, the works. And when the beat dropped at Casa O’Neal, things got wild. As people in the replies were quick to mention, Shaq really must be the most fun father of all time — and while we’re here, just how high are the ceilings in the O’Neal household that young men that tall could jump on the counters and have plenty of headroom? [VIEWER'S GUIDE] 2020 Royal Rumble (FS1, 7 p.m. ET) It’s WrestleMania week, and FOX is bringing you 22 hours of action-packed WWE programming, starting with tonight’s re-air of this year’s instant classic of a Royal Rumble. Relive Brock Lesnar’s monstrous run (and his fall, courtesy of Drew McIntyre), Edge’s stunning return, and much more from this epic event! WWE Backstage (FS1, 11 p.m. ET) They might be working from home, but the WWE Backstage crew is here to talk all things WrestleMania in the lead-up to the Show of Shows this weekend, as the Showcase of the Immortals becomes a two-night extravaganza for the first time ever on April 4 and 5. UFC Free Fight: Khabib Nurmagomedov’s UFC Debut (UFC YouTube) The Eagle entered UFC with a perfect 16-0 MMA record, and he hasn’t lost since. While we await word on what will happen with UFC 249, [watch Nurmagomedov’s UFC debut]( in which he scored a submission victory with his textbook rear-naked choke. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Cam Newton’s team for Week 1 of the 2020 NFL regular season Los Angeles Chargers: -137 Jacksonville Jaguars: +425 Miami Dolphins: +475 New England Patriots: +600 Denver Broncos: +600 Washington Redskins: +900 Las Vegas Raiders: +1200 Philadelphia Eagles: +1400 The market for Cam Newton’s services might be a little slow right now, as NFL teams try to figure out how to evaluate players while still social distancing, but the market on where he’ll land next season is heating up. Although there’s a lot of rumor and innuendo about Newton taking his talents to New England, our Jason McIntyre is putting his money on the longest of long shots on the board, the Philadelphia Eagles. And if you think it behooves Cam to take on a backup role next season, Philly at 14-to-1 could make a lot of sense. [WHAT THEY SAID] "Nothing comes easy. Success doesn’t just drop on your lap. You have to go out and fight for it every day." — Dana White [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download the FOX Sports app for live scores and streaming [App Store]( [Google Play]( Available on: [tvOS] [Roku] [fireTV] [androidtv] [XBOX] [Google chromecast] [tvOS] [fireTV] [androidtv] [XBOX] [Google chromecast] Forwarded this message? [Sign up](. Amazon, Fire, and all related marks are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2020 FOX Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. 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