A new interim lightweight champion will be determined as Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson battle it out at UFC 209 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, 4 March.

Where to watch live

The main card event starts at 3am BST (Sunday in the UK). Live coverage is on BT Sport 2 and BT Sport 2 HD with live streaming available on BTSport.com.

Overview

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson will finally lock horns in a lightweight bout to determine a new interim champion.

The two fighters are currently the most dominant in their divisions with Nurmagomedov currently 8-0 since joining the UFC (24-0 in MMA) while Ferguson is currently on a nine fight winning streak (21-3 in MMA).

Khabib Nurmagomedov
Khabib Nurmagomedov is looking to go 25-0 on 4 March Getty

"The Eagle" is known for his brutal takedowns and likes to maul his opponents on the ground with his most recent performance being his savage beatdown of Michael Johnson at UFC 205. His infamous post fight interview where he called out Conor McGregor brought him to mainstream attention.

"El Cucuy" on the other hand, is one of the most unorthodox freestyle fighters in the company who is adept on his back, has knockout power and can choke an opponent out from virtually anywhere. Ferguson's last fight was an impressive unanimous decision win over former lightweight champion, Rafael Dos Anjos.

Tony Ferguson
Tony Ferguson is currently on a nine fight win streak Getty

The two fighters and their different styles make for a very intriguing contest with Nurmagomedov dubbing this fight "the greatest match in lightweight history." The winner will not only become a UFC champion for the first time, but will also challenge champion McGregor to a lightweight unification title bout.

Prediction

Tony Ferguson to win via submission.

What they say:

Khabib Nurmagomedov: "This, me and Tony, this is one of the biggest fights in 2017 and all time in the UFC. This Saturday I'm going to make it a 25-unbeaten win streak, take the belt and become the new, undisputed, undefeated champion and after we will see what happens," via MMAFighting.

Tony Ferguson: "There's two people and one referee — and that dudes going to have to stop me from beating the sh*t out of Khabib. He's a bully and I'm going to shut him up," via TheMacLife.

Betting odds (Betfair)

  • Khabib Nurmagomedov to win: 8/15
  • Tony Ferguson to win: 6/4

Main Card Event

  • Welterweight championship: Tyron Woodley (C) vs Stephen Thompson
  • Interim lightweight championship: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson
  • Middleweight: Rashad Evans vs Dan Kelly
  • Lightweight: Lando Vannata vs David Teymur
  • Heavyweight: Alistair Overeem vs Mark Hunt
UFC