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The fight many referred to as “the real main event” at UFC 209 is off.
An interim lightweight championship bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson scheduled for the co-main event of tomorrow night’s pay-per-view at T-Mobile Arena was canceled this morning. Nurmagomedov fell ill while cutting weight and never showed up for the morning weigh-ins.
He was transported to Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center, where he was treated and discharged but doctors recommended he not go forward with the bout. Nurmagomedov had encountered problems making weight before — coming in two pounds heavy for a May 2013 bout against Abel Trujillo — and Ferguson attacked him over it on a conference all last week.
“You’re fat, dude,” Ferguson said. “You’ll never make weight, and your conditioning sucks.”
Nurmagomedov fired back, “I show you my weight Friday, and I show you my spirit on Saturday.”
He never had the chance to do either. UFC 209 will continue with a welterweight championship bout between Tyron Woodley and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson in the main event, and another fight elevated to the main card.
The card begins at 4 p.m. Saturday with the pay-per-view slated for a 7 p.m. start.
Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.
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