Tony Ferguson has his opponent for UFC 249.
Justin Gaethje (21-2), who was an All-American wrestler at the University of Northern Colorado, will replace Khabib Nurmagomedov to take on Ferguson (25-3) in the April 18 card’s main event, the company announced Monday.
“I’m terrified and I (expletive) love it,” .
The change comes five days after Nurmagomedov said on Instagram that he wouldn’t break his quarantine in Russia to fight. It’s the fifth time since 2015 that a bout between the UFC lightweight champion and Ferguson has been called off.
Gaethje, 31, is on a three-fight win streak. His latest victory was last September when he defeated Donald Cerrone via technical knockout in the first round.
UFC 249 was originally set to take place at Barclays Center in New York. The new venue has yet to be announced.
