Tony Ferguson believes his fight with Justin Gaethje at UFC 249 this weekend should be for the "real championship" and not the interim title after belt holder and initial opponent Khabib Nurmagomedov withdrew from the event.
Former collegiate wrestler Ferguson, coming into the bout on a 12-fight win streak, was supposed to fight Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title in Brooklyn on April 18 but that was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The unbeaten Nurmagomedov, who has returned to Russia, had previously been booked to fight Ferguson on another four occasions but each bout was cancelled because of health or fitness issues.
Ferguson said the Dagestan native and Irish fighter Conor McGregor "both need to retire".
"The only two real men out there are going to be me and Justin Gaethje," he told reporters ahead of Saturday's bout at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville.
Ferguson said UFC 249, which is taking place with stringent testing procedures and no fans in attendance due to the Covid-19 pandemic, could reach a sports-starved audience that may not otherwise tune in to a mixed martial arts event.
"Right now, there’s no Olympics, there’s no Wimbledon, there’s no NBA Draft, there’s no NFL Draft, there’s no tennis, there’s no soccer, hockey, there’s no baseball," he said.
"This is what we bring to the table ... and we’re going to do our best and we’re going to keep sports alive and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Nurmagomedov is reportedly set to face the winner of Saturday's fight, while also lurking in the wings is former two-weight title-holder McGregor, who made a return to winning ways with a swift TKO of Donald Cerrone in January.
Ferguson's run of 12 straight wins is a UFC lightweight record, and having already held the interim belt after beating Kevin Lee in 2017 before being stripped due to an injury, the Californian now feels his time has come.
"This is not for an interim title," he said. "This is for the real championship."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE finals day
Friday, April 13
Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange
Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
