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How the coronavirus pandemic is impacting the UFC UFC president Dana White said Saturday on SportsCenter that the fights will go on. But where? And with whom? Here is what we know for now, and this file will be updated as the fluid situation continues to develop. .
Resetting the UFC's heavyweight division: What's ahead for Daniel Cormier, title dark horses
What's the biggest question you have about this division?
Who's the strongest dark horse contender?
Other than Stipe vs. DC 3, what's the one fight you need to see that's not booked yet?
Who do you think this delay helps or hurt the most?
One bold prediction for the division.
Irish UFC superstar Conor McGregor has continued his push for strict self-quarantine efforts in his home country as the coronavirus pandemic has continued to spread across the globe. After a few days of positive trends for Ireland in teorms of confirmed cases dropping, McGregor took to social media to encourage best practices for his countrymen and women to continue to slow the spread of the virus. "Quick reminder to stay vigilant with our quarantine efforts, team Ireland," McGregor posted on Instagram. "We have seen a drop over the last 3 days in numbers of infected. From 191 cases on Thursday, March 19th (Our heaviest day to date) to a slight decrease of 126 the following day, Friday March 20th. To now today, Saturday March 21th, a total number of 102 new cases." McGregor also recommended the Irish public resist the urge to go out during the "peak" of the weekend on Saturday, stating vigilance was needed. Ireland has issued some "lockdown" measures to be placed while attempting to slow the spread of coronavirus, but in recent days, experts have suggested the country is inching closer to being the latest to expand on more restrictive lockdown measures.
Khabib Nurmagomedov eyes August date if upcoming Tony Ferguson fight called off
As of Thursday evening, Nurmagomedov (28-0) and Ferguson (25-3) are still tentatively scheduled to headline UFC 249 on April 18. At least, the UFC has not officially canceled the event, even though president Dana White has not revealed where it will take place, given the logistical challenges caused by COVID-19. ;
UFC 249 postponed: Now what for the fighters and the UFC?
Despite the UFC pulling out all the stops to try to make it happen, UFC 249 will no longer happen April 18. On Thursday, UFC president Dana White told ESPN's Brett Okamoto that the card is off and all UFC events are postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The main event was initially supposed to be Khabib Nurmagomedov defending his UFC lightweight title against Toney Ferguson in Brooklyn, but the coronavirus forced the event out of New York and Nurmagomedov got stuck in Russia due to travel restrictions.
Claressa Shields was supposed to fight on May 9, defending two of her championship belts and trying to win a vacant third against Marie-Eve Dicaire in Shields' hometown of Flint, Michigan. Instead, like the rest of the sports world during the coronavirus pandemlc, she's waiting to find out when she'll fight again. In an as-told-to story with Michael Rothstein, she shares what life has been like during this time. .
There are fighters who found success in the Octagon, and there are fighters whose success transcended the Octagon.
The latter group featured superstars whose contributions weren't necessarily defined by their records. They didn't just excel in the sport, they changed it. Over the past decade, three such athletes stood out for how they impacted MMA. One was a pioneer, one may be the greatest fighter of all time and someone associated with a landmark policy change and the other simply is the biggest star in the sport's history.
Khabib Nurmagomedov says father in critical condition with coronavirus Nurmagomedov (28-0) was scheduled to defend his 155-pound title against Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 on April 18, but he was forced to withdraw from the bout because of travel restrictions out of Russia. He was replaced in the fight by Justin Gaethje, who went on to defeat Ferguson and claim an interim lightweight title. .
Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer finalized as full UFC 250 card set
UFC president Dana White has announced the official lineup for a UFC 250 pay-per-view event on June 6 in Las Vegas. White revealed the 11-bout card on SportsCenter on Wednesday. The main event will feature two-weight champion Amanda Nunes, who will look to defend her 145-pound featherweight title against Felicia Spencer. UFC 250 will take place at the UFC's Apex facility, without fans in attendance because of the coronavirus pandemic. Nunes (19-4) is widely considered the No. 1 pound-for-pound female on the planet, and arguably the greatest female fighter of all time. The native of Brazil won the 135-pound bantamweight title in 2016, and added the featherweight belt to her résumé in 2018. Spencer (8-1), a Canada native fighting out of Orlando, Florida, has never fought below the 145-pound weight limit -- and has, in fact, competed as high as 155 and 170 pounds. She is 2-1 in the UFC.