Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson targeted for UFC on FOX 19 in April

A lightweight bout between contenders Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson is targeted for UFC on FOX 19.

Ferguson first hinted at the matchup on Tuesday (on Twitter):

Ferguson (20-3 MMA, 10-1 UFC), who’s won seven straight fights, was initially slated to rematch Michael Johnson (16-10 MMA, 8-6 UFC), who’s dropped two straight, at UFC 197 on March 5. However, according to MMAFighting.com, Johnson was forced off the card for undisclosed reasons, and Ferguson is now targeted for the matchup with Nurmagomedov (22-0 MMA, 6-0).

UFC on FOX 19 is expected to take place April 16, though a venue and host city haven’t been finalized. The main card airs on FOX following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Nurmagomedov is No. 2 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings, and Ferguson is No. 3. Their bout, which could serve as UFC on FOX 19’s headliner, will likely be a title-eliminator.

In an eight-year pro career, Nurmagomedov is 22-0 with 14 stoppages. In April 2014, the 27-year-old defeated now-champ Rafael dos Anjos, but a series of knee injuries have kept him on the sidelines as planned bouts with Donald Cerrone (May 2015) and Ferguson (December 2015) subsequently fell apart.

He now meets 31-year-old Ferguson, who’s 7-0 with five stoppages and five fight-night bonuses since his may 2012 loss to Johnson. “The Ultimate Fighter 13” winner has three straight “Performance of the Night” awards for his recent wins over Gleison Tibau, Josh Thomson and Edson Barboza.

For more on UFC 197 and UFC on FOX 19, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.