The UFC 249 tournament was officially moved from New York because of the coronavirus. This was done in accordance with the recommendations of the New York State Athletic Commission, as well as in connection with the restriction on holding large public events in the region. It is still unknown where exactly the fight between Nurmagomedov and Ferguson will take place, and whether it will be postponed until the fall of 2020. Despite the sad news, many people retain a sense of humor and a positive attitude. One of them is the president of the championship, Dana White, who joked about holding a battle between Habib and Tony on the Moon.

RT decided to make a list of the most unexpected places where, albeit purely theoretically, a light-weight belt battle could take place.

Moon

White named the Earth satellite as a possible venue for the duel between Nurmagomedov and Ferguson for a reason. Firstly, the coronavirus was hardly reached the moon, which practically guarantees the health and safety of both athletes. Secondly, organizing a show on the Moon is much less costly than, say, on Mars.

At the same time, White is confident that Elon Musk will help him in the implementation of this project. The CEOs of Tesla and SpaceX have long spoken about plans to colonize the Moon and Mars, and even imagined a spaceship to transport people. Surely the billionaire will want to participate in the organization of the first UFC tournament outside the Earth and will help not only with the flight, but also with the creation of a special octagon in which earth's gravity will be recreated. Otherwise, Nurmagomedov risks becoming significantly less rapid and less successful in conducting takedowns, which calls into question his success in a duel with Ferguson.

LMFAO get ready everyone pic.twitter.com/9HZmErC1mB

- Dana White (@danawhite) March 18, 2020

Congo

Another option was proposed by Nurmagomedov himself. The Russian fighter remembered the battle between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, which took place in the city of Kinshasa in 1974. At that time, the country was called Zaire, but was subsequently renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The duel between the boxers acquired the status of a legendary one and received the name “Rumble in the Jungle”, and the place became a cult place for martial arts fans.

It is not surprising that Nurmagomedov wants to touch history and arrange an event reminiscent in scale of the confrontation between Ali and Foreman. It is worth noting that his opponent is very suitable. Ferguson’s track record, although it does not include 40 victories, 37 of which were won ahead of schedule, but there is a win-win series of 12 battles. And for MMA, this is a grandmaster indicator. In addition, the current situation in Congo is extremely favorable. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the country has recorded only seven cases of coronavirus.

Antarctica

There is reason to believe that at the moment the coronavirus is unlikely to have reached Antarctica, as a result of which the UFC could well have paid attention to this continent. Organizing an expedition there would be much simpler and more economical than going to the moon. A tournament in eternal ice would go down in history not only of mixed martial arts, but also of sports in general, and the duel of Nurmagomedov and Ferguson would certainly have received a resounding nickname like “Roar in the Jungle”.

Thus, UFC 249 could be the first major sporting event in Antarctica and deprive Lazarev Cup of this status. Two years ago there was talk about holding a hockey tournament on the continent in 2020, but the Absolute Fighting Championship could be ahead of the curve. At the same time, public events have been held here repeatedly, so there should not be any special barriers to organizing the show. Suffice it to recall that in December 2013, Metallica played a “silent” concert here. The event was held at the Karlini science station, and the music was broadcast to listeners through headphones.

Nepal

One cannot but consider the possibility of holding a duel between Nurmagomedov and Ferguson in the mountains. First of all, because of the notorious coronavirus that made White and company forget about organizing a tournament in the United States. In highland countries there is practically no virus, as evidenced by the example of Nepal. So far, only one case of COVID-19 infection has been officially confirmed in the highest mountain country on Earth.

The only problem would be the lack of large arenas in Nepal that could accommodate everyone who wants to visit UFC 249. Thus, the country's largest stadium, Dasarath Rangasala, accommodates no more than 15 thousand spectators, which is unlikely to be enough. However, in the current environment, this is much better than the empty stands of the Barclays Arena in New York.

Bahamas

Of course, the local surroundings is hardly suitable for a tough battle for the UFC lightweight champion title, but from the point of view of the threat of coronavirus, this place is one of the safest. As in Nepal, as of March 19, only one infected was detected here, which is an excellent indicator. However, the Bahamas is certainly a more attractive place for tourists and comfortable for athletes.

Thus, the UFC leadership not only provides the fighters with the opportunity to speak, but also suits them and themselves a little rest. This tournament promises to be unforgettable not only for fans who are deprived of the opportunity to watch sports competitions because of the pandemic, but also for athletes. The only question is whether Nurmagomedov will take his signature hat with him, because in this climate he will not be very comfortable wearing such a headdress.