Uh oh…
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is on egg shells regarding its UFC 209 co-main event after No. 1-ranked lightweight contender, Khabib Nurmagomedov, was hospitalized during his cut to the 155-pound limit.
As a result, his five-round interim title fight against fellow top contender Tony Ferguson, scheduled for tomorrow night (March 4, 2017) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, is in jeopardy.
Bloody Elbow confirmed an original report from Russian news outlet Izvestia; however, Ariel Helwani notes the hospitalization was unrelated to the actual weight-cutting process.
This is undoubtedly a major setback for the undefeated “Eagle,” who was inching his way toward an eventual showdown with reigning division kingpin Conor McGregor. It should be noted that “El Cucuy” made weight without incident.
If “The Eagle” is unable to fly, Ferguson can opt to ride the pine — much like Woodley did when a similar scenario unfolded with Johny Hendricks — or stay busy against a top-ranked contender like Eddie Alvarez.
Expect more details on this still-developing story throughout the day. In the meantime, you can get complete UFC 209 weigh in results here.