With UFC 249 main event in limbo, Jorge Masvidal volunteers his services

Jorge Masvidal is willing to save the day at UFC 249.

While the event is scheduled to take place April 18 in a location to be determined, lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov’s chances to compete against Tony Ferguson have lessened. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Nurmagomedov is currently in Dagestan as he was looking to put the finishing touches on his training camp.

With a travel ban instituted in Russia, Nurmagomedov revealed in a recent Instagram Live that the UFC is looking for a new opponent for Ferguson to headline UFC 249.

After a 2019 campaign that launched Masvidal into a new level of superstardom, “Gamebred” took to Twitter Monday morning to state he is willing to step up to the plate if he’s needed.

Following the initial tweet, Masvidal stated that a fight between he and welterweight champion Kamaru Usman may have been put on the table.

Usman took to Twitter hours later to express his interest in competing at UFC 249 — although Masvidal doesn’t seem to buying into it.

After not competing in 2018, Masvidal returned to the Octagon in March 2019 and knocked out Darren Till in the second round of UFC London main event. The 35-year-old followed that victory up with a five-second knockout win over Ben Askren — the fastest KO in UFC history — at UFC 239.

As if the year couldn’t get any better, Masvidal headlined UFC 244 at Madison Square Garden in November and earned a third-round TKO win over Nate Diaz to capture the “BMF” title.

As for Ferguson, he has been on an incredible run of his own — one that has lasted over six years. “El Cucuy” has won his last 12 fights, which includes capturing the interim lightweight title with a third-round submission win over Kevin Lee at UFC 216 in October 2017.

The 36-year-old Ferguson was scheduled to meet Nurmagomedov at UFC 223 in April 2018 but was forced out of the title unification bout after tearing a ligament in his knee. He would return to action a year later to pick up back-to-back TKO wins over Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone.

Although UFC 249 doesn’t have a location as of yet, Dana White recently stated that he has “four or five locations” in mind to host the event.