Magomed Ankalaev's UFC 249 rematch with Ion Cutelaba in limbo after Russia travel ban
A newly imposed Russian travel ban could hinder Magomed Ankalaev from fighting Ion Cutelaba at UFC 249.
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Even if the UFC succeeds in putting on UFC 249 next month, the amount of logistical issues could be detrimental to the event. That’s already proving to be the case for one matchup.
Light heavyweights Magomed Ankalaev and Ion Cutelaba are set to rematch on the April 18 card, but now that fight is in limbo due to some new travel sanctions.
Ankalaev, who lives in Russia, could be hindered by the country’s decision Saturday to ban all cross-border travel because of the global coronavirus pandemic. As of Monday, anyone outside of “diplomats or members of official delegations” will not be allowed to cross the Russian border.
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is expected to face Tony Ferguson in the UFC 249 main event, already has left the country, according to reports, after returning there once a stay-at-home order was issued in California, where American Kickboxing Academy is based in San Jose. Now Ankalaev faces a difficult decision of what to do, as he explained on social media (via Instagram w/translation from Google):
Ровно через три недели состоится реванш Магомеда Анкалаева против Иона Куцелабы . 
Как полетит на этот бой Анкалаев будет для нас большой загадкой , так как с сегодняшнего дня на неопределенный срок авиаперелёты из России в другие страны ЗАПРЕЩЕНЫ! . 
Мое мнение : Я думаю что на 60% бой Анкалаева на турнире UFC 249 не состоится……..!
????
???????????? How I will fly to this battle will be a big mystery for us, since from today for an indefinite period air flights from Russia to other countries are FORBIDDEN!
Khabib (Nurmagomedov) and the rest of his team managed to leave Russia yesterday, I should have done the same and left the country yesterday.
I think that 60% of the fight at the UFC 249 tournament will not take place!
If Ankalaev manages to leave Russia before the deadline, there’s still the question of where he’s supposed to go. UFC president Dana White insists he has a handful of potential locations for the card, but it remains unknown whether those venues are in the U.S. or international.
White has said already that he expects fights to fall off UFC 249 due to travel issues associated with coronavirus but promised to salvage the card.
After Ankalaev beat Cutelaba in a controversial first-round TKO at UFC on ESPN+ 28 in February, the pair was booked for an immediate rematch. It appears now, though, that might have to wait.