Ferguson to face returning Nurmagomedov with Johnson injured

Just hours after breaking news on Twitter that his opponent Michael Johnson would be forced to pull out of their fight, Tony Ferguson has a new opponent.

Ferguson will fight Khabib Nurmagomedov in April, according to a report from MMAFighting.com.

The lightweight contender had been expected to fight Michael Johnson at UFC 197 on March 5. Tuesday evening, Ferguson posted a picture of himself with a sushi roll and a beer on social media along with a reference to Johnson not being able to fight.

"Hope For a Good Surgery & Speedy (Recovery)," he posted, mentioning Johnson's Twitter handle.

UFC officials did not confirm whether Johnson had surgery or what injury he had suffered.

Ferguson posted a short time later to inform his followers to expect a big announcement.

It came late Tuesday with news of a matchup with Nurmagomedov, an unbeaten contender who has missed nearly two years due to injury.

The bout will take place on a Fox network card tentatively set to air on April 16. No location has been announced for the card.

Nurmagomedov last competed in April 14 with a unanimous decision win over current champion Rafael dos Anjos. He is 6-0 in the UFC and 22-0 in his career.

Ferguson, who is coming off a second-round submission of Edson Barboza in December, has won seven straight fights.

Nurmagomedov and Ferguson were scheduled to meet in December, but Nurmagomedov pulled out of the fight and was replaced by Barboza.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj