The Russian authorities may have put the final nail in the coffin for the UFC’s plans to go ahead with the Khabib Nurmagomedov versus Tony Ferguson bout, after locking down all the country’s borders.

The Russian government announced on Saturday that all travel into and out of the country – including by rail, boat, car and even pedestrian – would be closed as the nation bids to stave off the spread of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.

The state order said that the measure was “temporary,” but provided no indication as to when the border traffic will resume.

READ MORE: Russia to ban ALL cross-border travel over Covid-19 pandemic

The Russian authorities had already shut down all regular and charter international flights from Friday, with the only exceptions for flights repatriating its citizens.

The news of the latest measures is yet another apparent blow to UFC boss Dana White’s plans to press ahead with the lightweght title match-up between Khabib and Ferguson set for April 18.

Russian lightweight ruler Khabib is currently in his homeland, having recently returned from the US after his American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California, was effectively shut down.

UFC boss White has claimed that a new location for Khabib’s blockbuster showdown with Ferguson – which was originally planned for the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York – has been “99 percent” sorted out.

However, it seems unlikely that White could even get the fighters anywhere near each in the foreseeable future, considering that Khabib seems stuck in Russia.      

Source: RT