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Is UFC president Dana White ready to send Khabib Nurmagomedov a location? Because according to a Russian news site on Wednesday, Nurmagomedov might have just found a way to make it to UFC 249 after all for his April 18 showdown against top-rated challenger Tony Ferguson.
According to that Russian news site, private flights between Russia and the United States can still take place despite the recently announced cross-border travel restrictions in Russia. Per that report, those restrictions have not stopped private flights in and out of the country.
“In order for Khabib to be able to fly to the United States in a private jet, the company whose services he intends to use must obtain permission to fly from Russia and to arrive in the United States,” a Russian Federal Air Transport Agency representative said per that report.
Essentially, the report suggests that Nurmagomedov might still be able to travel to the U.S. for UFC 249 so long as he receives the right approvals but that he might not have as easy a time returning to Russia after the fact.
“There are no restrictions for business aviation on departure from Russia,” the FTA representative said.
It appears there’s still some hope UFC 249’s main event goes on as planned.
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Getting Nurmagomedov to UFC 249 Would a Be Huge Win for UFC
Nurmagomedov revealed on Monday that he probably wouldn’t be able to participate in the main event of UFC 249 on April 18 because he was stuck in Russia and forbidden to leave that country due to some recently established cross-border travel bans put in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But two days later, a new report suggests those restrictions might not actually keep Nurmagomedov from traveling to the U.S. (or another location) next month to face Ferguson at UFC 249.
That would be a huge win for Dana White. While the UFC president is getting roasted by some in the media and even boxing promoter Bob Arum over his single-minded approach to making UFC 249 happen no matter what, MMA fans have long desired to see Nurmagomedov and Ferguson inside the Octagon.
Not counting UFC 249, the coveted matchup had fallen through four other times.
Nurmagomedov and Ferguson are Top UFC Lightweights
Moreover, both Nurmagomedov and Ferguson have posted impressive 12-fight win-streaks in the UFC. Nurmagomedov is undefeated across all MMA promotions and currently holds the UFC lightweight championship.
Meanwhile, Ferguson hasn’t lost a fight in almost eight years and is the clear No. 1 contender to Nurmagomedov’s 155-pound throne.
Finally, the winner of Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson would be a shoo-in to face Conor McGregor in a superfight later this year. Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor at UFC 229 in October 2018 in the best-selling UFC pay-per-view event in history.
Ferguson and McGregor have yet to tussle, but that fight would also do big numbers.
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Twitter: @Kelsey_McCarson