LAS VEGAS • If the Ultimate Fighting Championship stages UFC 249 on April 18 as planned, it will be the first major sports event to take place in a month since the coronavirus pandemic decimated the global calendar.

Dana White, the president of the world's biggest mixed martial arts promotion, has taken plenty of flak for pressing ahead with the event despite the dangers of Covid-19, with veteran boxing promoter Bob Arum calling him "somebody with a flawed intelligence".

But White has continued to insist "we will be the first sport back on" even if it means holding the fight behind closed doors.

To combat the spread of the disease, authorities worldwide have put a stop to mass gatherings, leading to the original venue of New York being scratched.

White has, however, confirmed on Twitter the event will still go ahead and he will also reveal the fight card today, tweeting: "The card is happening... I will announce the entire card tomorrow."

There is one catch though.

While American Tony Ferguson will still be part of the main event, his opponent and undefeated lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will not be squaring off against him in the octagon.

White tweeted that the Russian was out, confirming last week's reports which stated his inability to leave his home of Dagestan because of global travel restrictions.

While fans will be disappointed after the match-up fell through for the fifth time, White has reportedly lined up an intriguing opponent for Ferguson, the No. 1 lightweight contender.

The headline fight could see Justin Gaethje step in as Nurmagomedov's replacement, according to ESPN.

Although Ferguson has stated his preference to fight the UFC's biggest star, Conor McGregor, that prospect appears unlikely given the short notice. So he is willing to go toe-to-toe with his fellow American, who is known for his striking.

"It doesn't matter who we have. We're gonna try to make this thing go," he told ESPN. "At least some of the people in the world have a little bit of hope."

As for the new venue, sources told the sports broadcaster that it will be held somewhere in the West Coast - with a Native American reservation, which is not bound by the regulations of the state athletic commissions, being seriously considered.