UFC Rumors: Targeted date for Khabib Nurmagomedov-Tony Ferguson fight revealed

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson is the direction we're heading towards with regards to the UFC Lightweight Championship. That fight is, undoubtedly, the most anticipated one today in the world of MMA.

The biggest fear, however, has been the history of this bout being canceled. The fight has been made on four different occasions and has also been canceled all four times, with both men pulling out twice.

ESPN has confirmed that UFC is targetting the bout to headline the April 18th PPV in Brooklyn, New York. Khabib's manager Ali Abdelaziz told ESPN that fifth time is the charm:

"Tony has been asking for this a**-whipping for a long time, and he deserves it. He's earned it. Khabib wanted this fight, Tony wanted it, the UFC wanted it and the fans wanted it. This fight is for the fans."

ESPN wrote that Khabib Nurmagomedov is rumored to have signed the deal whereas Tony Ferguson is yet to sign, only pending some contract negotiations.

No contender in the Lightweight division deserves it more than Tony Ferguson. El Cucuy has been on a 12-fight win streak and hasn't lost a bout in over 7 and a half years. That's incredible to think about and the meeting between the two men is inevitable.

Khabib, according to Dana White, has displaced Conor McGregor as "the guy" in UFC. His PPV numbers tell the story and since this is the most highly-anticipated bout in the entire sport, it's very likely that the PPV comfortably exceeds a million buys.

Tony Ferguson is the only man who many believe has what it takes to defeat Nurmagomedov. The dominant Russian Champion hasn't faced too much adversity in the Octagon, and according to fans, Ferguson's unpredictable and unorthodox style may be what's required to stop Khabib's relentless pressure and takedowns.

Nurmagomedov last defeated a very tough opponent in Dustin Poirier, finishing him in the third round of their UFC 242 bout.