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Edson Barboza knows all too well about Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson. The two men have been scheduled to clash on four different occasions, with all four times being canceled due to various injuries.
Conor McGregor is one fighter who openly admitted that he doesn't think the fight is going to happen. He is expected to be the replacement fighter should anything happen again.
As for Edson Barboza - the Brazilian was dominated by both Ferguson and Nurmagomedov. Speaking to Helen Yee, he expressed his excitement for UFC 249's main event and gave his assessment on who he thinks will win (H/T ThebodylockMMA.com):
“It’s going to be a great fight. Very excited for this one. It’s funny because sometimes I see the fight, I think about the fight and think it’s a good fight for Khabib. But at the same time, Ferguson is hard to fight. His style, he’s a little bit different with everybody,” Barboza said.
He chose Ferguson as a slight favorite because of his superior striking and unconventional creativity to get himself out of tricky positions:
“I think Ferguson (should be favored) because he’s a little bit better striker. He’s more creative. Everybody knows what Khabib is doing but he does it very well. Everybody knows but nobody can stop it. I feel Ferguson because he’s a little bit more creative, you never know what’s coming,” Barboza continued.
He admitted that Khabib Nurmagomedov has more power. Barboza's fight against the Russian was a one-sided affair, with the Lightweight Champion holding him to the ground and brutally striking him against the fence for almost the entire 15 minutes:
“Both guys have power. I feel Khabib has a little bit more power, especially on the ground, he’s a little bit stronger. Like I said, some things Khabib is better, some things Tony Ferguson is better. It makes the match exciting,” Barboza concluded.
Barboza is one of the best people to listen to about this fight. Having shared the Octagon with both men, he knows exactly what they bring to the table. It's one of the most exciting match-ups imaginable and if all goes well, we'll finally get to see the dream fight at UFC 249.
