Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
A lot of mixed martial arts (MMA) fans were disappointed to learn that Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, was removed from the upcoming UFC 249 pay-per-view (PPV) fight card on April 18.
And rightly so, considering we’ve been waiting five years for this to happen.
But “terrified” lightweight smashing machine Justin Gaethje wants to prove to combat sports fans that he’s a worthy replacement for top-ranked 155-pound contender Tony Ferguson and that his interim lightweight title fight against “El Cucuy” will be one for the books.
“Tony brings many challenges,” Gaethje told TMZ Sports. “I’m looking forward to facing adversity in there. I literally know he thrives in dark places and I consider myself to also thrive in dark places. As disappointing as it is that Khabib and Tony aren’t happening, if you’re a fan of MMA, then you’re an idiot if you’re not excited about this fight.”
Gaethje (21-2) has 18 knockouts in 21 wins and a staggering seven UFC “Fight Night” bonuses since 2017. As for Ferguson (25-3), he’s got 20 finishes of his own and like “The Highlight,” the submission-savvy “El Cucuy” has racked up a whopping 10 performance bonuses.
As of this writing we still don’t know where the UFC 249 event will take place, only that it’s expected to land on the “west coast.” UFC President Dana White has kept the industry on a need-to-know basis in order to thwart “creeps” who keep blowing up his phone.
See who’s fighting at the mysterious UFC 249 event by clicking here.