A UFC lightweight title fight between interim champion Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov is expected to headline UFC 223 on April 7.
UFC president Dana White told Boston's "Toucher and Rich" radio show on Wednesday the fight will happen on that date. The event is slated for Brooklyn's Barclays Center, per sources.
It is currently unknown whether the bout will be for Ferguson's interim title or the undisputed championship. The latter would mean the UFC would need to strip current champion Conor McGregor of the 155-pound belt, which he won in November 2016.
McGregor (21-3) is in the midst of renegotiating his UFC contract and a timetable for his return is unknown. He did not compete in mixed martial arts last year, but he received the biggest payday of his career in a boxing match against Floyd Mayweather.
The UFC has not yet announced whether it intends to strip McGregor, but White had indicated in the past that it's a possibility. According to White, McGregor has hinted he may not return to the UFC's Octagon until September.
Ferguson (23-3) won the interim belt by submitting Kevin Lee in October. The Southern California-based lightweight is riding a 10-fight win streak.
Nurmagomedov (25-0), of Dagestan, is 9-0 in the UFC. He is coming off a lopsided decision victory over another ranked contender, Edson Barboza, at UFC 219 last month.
The UFC has booked a matchup between Ferguson and Nurmagomedov multiple times, only to see it fall through for various reasons. The most recent attempt to make the fight was at UFC 209 last March, but Nurmagomedov was pulled the day before the event after being hospitalized during his weight cut.
