Khabib Nurmagomedov-Tony Ferguson fight to headline UFC 223

By Adam Hill

Las Vegas Review-Journal

7 years ago

UFC lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov, left, and Tony Ferguson exchange words during UFC 209 media day face off at the T-Mobile Arena Thursday, March 2, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye

UFC lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov, left, walks away as Tony Ferguson reacts during UFC 209 media day face off at the T-Mobile Arena Thursday, March 2, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye

UFC president Dana White, center, referees as tensions flare between UFC 209 co-main event stars, Khabib Nurmagomedov, left, and Tony Ferguson, during a staredown at The Monte Carlo hotel-casino’s Palm Theater in Las Vegas on Jan. 19, 2017. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @HeidiFang

UFC lightweight stars Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson again have been booked to fight.

This time, the enigmatic bout is scheduled to headline UFC 223 on April 7 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

UFC officials called a Friday news conference in Boston to formally announce the event. UFC president Dana White discussed the bout during a radio appearance Wednesday in Boston, saying he expected the fight to be in April.

Now the location, date and main event are official. But the stakes are still unclear.

Ferguson holds the interim belt, and Nurmagomedov is the unquestioned top contender, but Conor McGregor still has the title in the division.

White has said McGregor, who last fought in the UFC in November 2016, could be stripped of the title if he doesn’t fight again soon.

This marks the fourth time Ferguson and Nurmagomedov have been scheduled to fight.

The closest they got was an interim title bout in March, when Nurmagomedov pulled out after he was hospitalized while attempting to cut weight.

Each fighter has been forced out of the bout once because of injury.

Ferguson won the interim title with a submission of Kevin Lee in December, his 10th straight victory.

Nurmagomedov is 25-0 overall, 9-0 in the UFC.

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Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.