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          Khabib Nurmagomedov to put 22-0 record up against Tony Ferguson

          • Brett OkamotoFeb 7, 2016, 03:53 AM
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              Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
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          A non-title lightweight bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson will headline a UFC event on April 16 in Tampa, Florida.

          Officials formally announced the 155-pound contest on Saturday. The televised event will take place inside Amalie Arena.

          A light heavyweight fight featuring former champions Rashad Evans (19-4-1) and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (23-10) has also been confirmed for that date.

          Nurmagomedov (22-0) will be making his first appearance since he defeated current UFC champion Rafael dos Anjos via unanimous decision in April 2014. The undefeated Dagestani was scheduled to fight Ferguson in December but was forced off the card because of a rib injury. Prior to that, he had been sidelined by several knee injuries.

          Ferguson (20-3) is one of the fastest rising lightweights in the division. A former winner of The Ultimate Fighter reality series, Ferguson is on a seven-fight win streak. He is coming off a second-round submission win over Edson Barboza at the TUF 22 Finale on Dec. 11.

          Also on the card is a middleweight rematch between veterans Lyoto Machida (22-7) and Dan Henderson (31-14). Machida defeated Henderson in a split decision in February 2013.