That lightweight barnburner for UFC 170 fans were briefly teased with is officially a no-go.
The UFC listed Gilbert Melendez vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov on the event poster for the Feb. 22 card at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. UFC officials confirmed the matchup at the UFC 168 post-fight news conference.
But the bout’s officially off, according to UFC president Dana White, who previously indicated via Twitter the fight wasn’t a done deal.
“Not happening,” White told FOXSports.com, who broke the news Friday.
Nurmagomedov’s manager Mike Constantino wasn’t sure why the bout is no longer a possibility, but he said Nurmagomedov is ready to fight anyone as soon as possible. Furthermore, Constantino singled out Nate Diaz as an opponent that Nurmagomedov would like to fight.
Melendez’s management team did not immediately respond to a request for a comment on the situation.
UFC 170 is headlined by Ronda Rousey vs. Sara McMann for the women’s bantamweight title, with Daniel Cormier vs. Rashad Evans as the co-main event. No word just yet whether either Melendez or Nurmagomedov will remain on the card.