Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov were supposed to duke it out at UFC 249 although due to the Russian border being closed,  This forced the champion to bow out of the fight, leading to the UFC’s rush for a replacement. Yesterday, .

Following the announcement, Gaethje spoke to TMZ about agreeing to the fight and what his mindset is going into UFC 249. As he explains, he has nothing to lose and that this is his best chance at getting a shot at a championship belt. Needless to say, he is extremely motivated for this opportunity.

“Heroes live forever, legends never die and I’m literally here to make a statement. My name will be carried on far longer after I’m here because of my effort, because of my work ethic and because of the skills I possess,” Gaethje said. “There’s very few people on earth that would sign up for what me and Tony just signed up for, including most UFC fighters. A lot of guys will say that they’re ready, but a lot of guys would not put their name on the dotted line.”

Ferguson has had more time to prepare for this fight so it’s easy to see how Gaethje would be at a disadvantage. Regardless, it is surely going to be a fun fight.