Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC
Earlier today (Mon., April 6, 2020), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced that Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje would headline the upcoming UFC 249 pay-per-view (PPV) on April 18, 2020, in an interim lightweight title fight.
The location is still super top secret.
Immediately after the championship bout was made official, Gaethje took to social media to express his elation after earning his first-ever UFC world title fight, as well as revealing he’s actually terrified.
“I’m terrified and I fucken love it,” Geathje wrote on Twitter, which was preceded by the hashtag #forthepeople.
It’s safe to assume Gaethje’s fears stems from the COVID-19 pandemic plaguing the world at the moment. And in a time where mandatory lockdowns and quarantines are the norm, it’s understandable that many might feel a bit uneasy with combat sports taking place, fighters included. Still, “The Highlight” is ready to put on a show for the people, and secure himself his first piece of UFC hardware.
The booking comes as a result of Khabib Nurmagomedov being grounded in Russia, forcing the cancelation of his scheduled bout against Ferguson for the fifth time. And though, “The Eagle” was adamant he was ready to fight, travel restrictions made it impossible for the 155-pound champion to take flight.
While it is still unclear where the interim championship bout will take place, UFC President, Dana White, declared that he would reveal the location — and the entire updated fight card — very soon.