Donald Cerrone wanted to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov wanted to fight Cerrone.
Thursday night, the fight was signed and sealed for UFC 178, which takes place on Sept. 27 in Las Vegas.
Twenty minutes later, the fight blew apart, literally.
“That fight was done,” said UFC president Dana White in Dublin on Friday, shaking his head in disbelief. “20 minutes later, (Khabib) blew his knee out.
“Twenty minutes later, you’re not gonna (expletive) believe this, the fight is off. ”
White wasn’t immediately sure what Nurmagomedov’s down time would be, but did know it would be significant enough that they won’t hold Cerrone in limbo and wait for the Russian to heal up.
“Make another fight,” he responded when asked what they do with Cerrone now.
White didn’t yet have a new opponent in mind, but considering Cerrone’s penchant for fighting frequently, UFC officials will likely move swiftly.