Mike Tyson tells UFC chief Dana White why Khabib vs Ferguson needs to go ahead
UFC 249: Khabib vs Ferguson is still set to go ahead, despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson has urged UFC president Dana White to do everything in his power to ensure the promotion's fourth pay-per-view card of the year goes ahead. UFC 249 was scheduled to take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on April 18.
However, the coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent cancellation of sporting events and the banning of mass gatherings in the USA have scuppered those plans and have left the card without a venue.
The UFC have been working tirelessly to find a new home for the card, which will be headlined by the long-awaited lightweight title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson.
While the promotion's decision to press ahead with the card has been criticised by many, plenty of fight fans are hoping the event goes ahead so the eagerly-anticipated clash between Nurmagomedov and Ferguson, which has fallen through a staggering four times, can finally take place.
Tyson is amongst that group and believes the event itself could give the entire world a much-needed boost.
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The world would need this so desperately
During a recent episode of his Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson Podcast, the 53-year-old said: "Man the world would need this so desperately.
"If you could make this happen it’s something that we need. We need something to entertain our intellects right now."
White, who has borne the brunt of the criticism the UFC have received in the last few weeks, replied by saying: "I agree with you brother.
"So every day that I work on this thing, I get another curveball thrown at me when I wake up.
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"So every time we plan something, it falls apart – gotta re-do it and re-do it."
After working frantically to ensure UFC 249 doesn't fall apart, White has found several venues willing to host the event.
He added: "I have four or five locations right now and we’re just getting this deal done.
"And then we’re going to figure out who we can get in, who we can’t, what we can do, and we’re going to build a card around it.
"It’s f***ing crazy man. Everybody is running and hiding."
White firmly believes the criticism the UFC have received in recent weeks has been unwarranted and reckons the media have made the pandemic to be far worse than it actually is.
“I’m one of those guys that would rather get out there and find solutions," he said. "How do we figure this out? How do we beat this thing?
“Listen, if you’re somebody that’s a high risk, you should probably stay away and stay quarantined for a while.
"What happens when flu season comes again next year? What happens then?
“I think that the media has made this thing scary. People are buying all of the toilet paper there is.
"If you just look at a lot of things that are going on, it’s wacky and totally driven by fear. It’s very weird.”