With Khabib Nurmagomedov versus Tony Ferguson no longer happening at UFC 249 on April 18, theScore looks back at the five times this matchup has been called off.
'TUF 22' finale - Dec. 11, 2015
Reason for cancellation: Nurmagomedov withdrew on Oct. 29 due to rib injury
The UFC already had high hopes for both Nurmagomedov and Ferguson, as the two rising lightweights were set to feature as the co-main event of the "TUF 22" finale. It would take place one day before the massive featherweight title fight between Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor.
At the time, Nurmagomedov was ranked No. 3 in the division and Ferguson sat at No. 8. Ferguson was coming off the biggest win of his career - a decision over Josh Thomson that summer - and had claimed six fights in a row. Nurmagomedov had been sidelined for more than 18 months due to an injury, but he'd most recently defeated Rafael dos Anjos, who went on to capture the lightweight belt.
After Nurmagomedov pulled out due to a rib issue, Edson Barboza replaced him and faced Ferguson on short notice. "El Cucuy" beat the Brazilian by submission, notching Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night honors.
UFC on FOX 19 - April 16, 2016
Reason for cancellation: Ferguson withdrew on April 5 due to fluid in his lungs
Less than six months later, Nurmagomedov and Ferguson were rebooked for the main event at UFC on FOX 19.
Despite not fighting, Nurmagomedov had moved up to No. 2 in the lightweight rankings, while Ferguson had jumped to No. 4 with his win over Barboza. This time, the stakes would be a little higher, and Nurmagomedov and Ferguson would get five rounds to decide who was best fit for a title run.
However, Ferguson suffered an injury in training and revealed that doctors had found fluid in his lungs. He was replaced by newcomer Darrell Horcher, whose fight against Nurmagomedov was moved down the card. "The Eagle" won by second-round TKO.
UFC 209 - March 4, 2017
Reason for cancellation: Nurmagomedov withdrew on March 3 due to weight-cutting complications
With lightweight champ McGregor expected to miss the first half of 2017 due to the birth of his first child, Nurmagomedov and Ferguson were slated to meet for the interim title at UFC 209.
By then, Nurmagomedov was the No. 1 contender and Ferguson was just behind at No. 2. The Russian had since picked up a win over Michael Johnson, and Ferguson had defeated both Dos Anjos (after Dos Anjos lost the lightweight title) and Lando Vannata.
But just a day before the highly anticipated clash, Nurmagomedov was hospitalized due to weight-cutting complications. He didn't even make it to the weigh-in scale Friday morning. The fight was called off once again, and without enough time to find a replacement, Ferguson was also taken off the card.
UFC 223 - April 7, 2018
Reason for cancellation: Ferguson withdrew on April 1 due to knee injury
Ferguson was paired with Nurmagomedov for a vacant title fight since it was unclear when or if McGregor planned to return to the Octagon. The Irishman had most recently crossed over to boxing for a 2017 match against Floyd Mayweather and hadn't fought in MMA since late 2016.
Since the 2017 booking of Nurmagomedov-Ferguson, the latter had defeated Kevin Lee for the interim title and the Russian had dominated Barboza.
On March 29, Ferguson tripped over cables while doing media obligations and hurt his knee. It was announced on April 1 - April Fool's Day - that the matchup with Nurmagomedov was yet again canceled.
UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway replaced Ferguson, but he later fell out of the contest too. Nurmagomedov ended up fighting Al Iaquinta - who'd been scheduled to face Paul Felder on the card - on a day's notice. Nurmagomedov won by unanimous decision to become the new UFC lightweight champion.
UFC 249 - April 18, 2020
Reason for cancellation: Coronavirus pandemic
Nurmagomedov was set to finally defend the 155-pound belt against Ferguson at UFC 249.
He'd already defended the title twice, against McGregor and Dustin Poirier. Ferguson had also picked up two more wins, stopping Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone. Overall, Nurmagomedov and Ferguson had further solidified themselves as the two best lightweights on the planet.
The coronavirus pandemic put UFC 249 - and all other scheduled events - at risk of not happening. UFC president Dana White was adamant about moving forward with the fight, which was originally scheduled for Brooklyn but later uprooted due to COVID-19 concerns.
However, weeks later, Nurmagomedov returned home to Russia from the United States to complete his training camp. His home country later instituted a travel ban and Nurmagomedov revealed March 30 that it was unlikely he'd be able to fight. The champ confirmed on April 1 - again, April Fool's Day - that the Ferguson bout would not be happening on April 18, and that he's instead remaining in quarantine in Russia.
As of this writing, UFC 249 is still scheduled but does not have a new location. It's also unclear if Ferguson will remain on the card.
