UFC Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov Will ‘Prepare For War’ In September

UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is unsure when normalcy will be restored but he will stay on his toes.

Nurmagomedov was scheduled to put his lightweight title on the line against Tony Ferguson on April 18. The coronavirus pandemic called a halt to those plans. Nurmagomedov found himself stuck in Russia due to a travel ban. While “The Eagle” insisted that he could have found a way out if he was given a location, the UFC planned to move forward without him. Ultimately, the UFC decided to postpone future events including the one set for April 18 due to pressure from Disney, ESPN, and the state of California.

With the COVID-19 crisis ongoing, it’s unknown when the UFC will get back to business. Even if the UFC resumes operations soon, Nurmagomedov won’t return to the Octagon before Ramadan is over. He did take to Instagram to say he’s preparing for battle anyway (transcription via Google Translate).

“But September is not so far away, even though it’s hard to believe that everything will end by September, but still one serious person said that in peacetime it is necessary to prepare for war. How are your days going?”

Nurmagomedov was last seen in action back in Sept. 2019. He successfully defended the 155-pound gold against Dustin Poirier. Nurmagomedov earned the third-round submission victory. A bout with Ferguson this month would’ve marked the third time Nurmagomedov put his lightweight title on the line.

The UFC wanted to have Ferguson and Gaethje compete for the interim lightweight gold. Time will tell if that idea will eventually come to fruition, or if Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson will be back on once the pandemic clears.