Dana White says Khabib is OUT of UFC 249 after faux account dupes followers into pondering Putin stepped in to avoid wasting combat with Ferguson

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Dana White says Khabib Nurmagomedov is unquestionably out of UFC 249 after a faux Twitter account appeared to dupe 1000’s of followers into pondering Vladimir Putin had stepped in to make the bout towards Tony Ferguson occur.

White responded to a faux account passing itself off as well-known ESPN journalist Ariel Helwani on Sunday, which had acknowledged that Putin and the UFC chief had agreed for light-weight champ Khabib to flee the coronavirus lockdown in Russia and jet to the US.   

“BREAKING: Dana White and Vladimir Putin have reached an settlement on journey preparations for UFC Light-weight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov to come back to the US. He’ll combat Tony Ferguson,” wrote the phony account, racking up greater than 16,00zero ‘likes’. 

“It’s taking place people. #UFC249 will go on as scheduled April 18.”

That prompted White to substantiate that Khabib was undoubtedly not a part of the equation for UFC 249, however that the occasion was nonetheless on and that he would reveal the complete card on Monday. 

In the meantime, the true Helwani reported the identical day that the UFC are near finalizing a location for the occasion, which has been hit arduous by the continued Covid-19 pandemic.

First scheduled for the Barclays Heart in Brooklyn, New York, speak then shifted to the cardboard being held in Abu Dhabi – the place Khabib headed after his coaching base within the US was locked down, solely to seek out that he wasn’t even allowed into the UAE. He then returned to Russia, the place he stays stranded.

Frozen out: Khabib Nurmagomedov says he is caught in Russia and UFC 249 may transfer on WITHOUT HIM 

In keeping with ESPN, UFC 249 will now be held on the US West Coast, doubtlessly on tribal lands which aren’t topic to state athletic fee laws.

Light-weight champ Khabib is probably going to get replaced in the primary occasion by 155lbs contender Justin Gaethje, who shares the identical supervisor because the Russian in Ali Abdelaziz.

Gaethje is tipped to step in and face Ferguson. © USA TODAY Sports activities / Kyle Terada

Abdelaziz stoked hopes on social media that Khabib himself should still be within the body on Sunday, writing on Twitter: “It’s on 100 now the place all of the haters.”

Abdelaziz could have been referring to his man Gaethje, nevertheless, and has up to now made contradictory statements on Khabib, together with when he insisted the light-weight champ was not caught in lockdown in Russia, even when it was clear that was the case.

The affirmation from Dana White that Khabib is off the cardboard at UFC 249 will sprint the hopes of many followers who had clung to the concept that he may nonetheless one way or the other escape Russia to face Ferguson.

‘Put your self in my footwear’: Khabib ‘CANCELS’ UFC 249 combat, won’t circumvent Covid-19 quarantine measures 

The Dagestani himself instructed followers final week that the concept of leaving Russia can be far simpler stated than accomplished given the whole border lockdown, and confused that even when he may escape, he had nonetheless not been given a particular location to fly to.

On the weekend there have been renewed studies that Belarus had supplied its providers to host the Khabib versus Ferguson showdown, having imposed far much less stringent restrictions on sports activities occasions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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© Getty Images / Reuters
Khabib v Ferguson: Belarus MMA boss says nation ‘supplied to host UFC 249,’ however authorities DENIES claims

That glint of hope might be extinguished when Dana White declares the cardboard on Monday, with the placement set to comply with quickly.