Khabib Nurmagomedov changes speech about fighting at UFC 249: 'Just give me the location'

K. Nurmagomedov (photo) criticizes UFC for lack of information about the UFC 249. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @khabib_nurmagomedov

The controversies surrounding the carrying out of the UFC 249, scheduled for April 18, are far from having an end point. After Khabib Nurmagomedov announce that it will not participate in the fight against Tony Ferguson Because he was 'trapped' in Russia, due to the closure of borders due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the lightweight champion (up to 70,3kg) changed his tone and admitted the possibility of facing his rival.

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"I'll fight. 100%, I will fight. Just give me the location. Every day I text Dana White: 'Where's my location?'”, said Nurmagomedov in an interview with 'ESPN'.

The champion, however, demanded more information about where the octagon will be set up so that the card can be held on the scheduled date. According to the Russian, there has been a lack of transparency on the part of the organization in terms of keeping athletes up to date with the show.

“How come, 16 days before the fight, I don’t know the location? This is not professional. Until the Tony Ferguson He said that if he doesn't know the location, he can't sign. Right now, if they give me a location, I can leave Russia and go to any country: USA, Abu Dhabi, it doesn't matter”, said the fighter.

Victim of several attacks on his social media after confirming his absence from the card earlier this week, Khabib then tried to express his desire for the fight against Ferguson to take place. Considered two of the best athletes in the division in the recent history of the sport, the Russian spoke about the motivation for the title fight to finally happen.

“It wasn’t my mistake. There are a lot of crazy things. Lots of questions I don't have the answers to. I understand people are nervous because this is a dream fight for the fans. It's my dream fight. I'm going to lose so much money, so much! No one will lose as much as me, no one”, said the 'Eagle'.

Before the current imbroglio, the confrontation between Tony and Khabib was canceled on four other occasions. This time, boasting the division title, the fight against Ferguson ended up being a personal request from the champion, even though the North American deserves the status of challenger. After defeating Dustin poirier, in September last year, the Russian, in the press conference after the fight, had already signaled that the 'Bogeyman' should be his next commitment.

“I want to fight, and that's why I accepted this fight. Because it's a tough fight. It's a fight for legacy. It's the number one fight for the fans. The biggest fight in the UFC right now. Of course I could choose an easy fight with a chicken, but I chose a tough fight. Anything can happen, I have no control over it”, concluded the champion.

So far, the UFC has not officially removed Nurmagomedov from the card. Even so, according to 'ESPN', the company continues to look for alternatives for the North American to continue on the show.