Watch: Rare footage shows Khabib Nurmagomedov training in the mountains for first scheduled bout against Tony Ferguson

A video of Khabib Nurmagomedov training prior to his official fight camp for his first scheduled bout against Tony Ferguson is currently making the rounds online.

The footage indicates that Nurmagomedov was largely focused on helping his childhood friend Islam Makhachev in his training camp ahead of the latter’s lightweight bout against Adriano Martins.

Makhachev faced Martins at UFC 192 in October 2015 and lost via first-round knockout. Thus far, it remains the lone loss of Makhachev’s MMA career.

The video footage, posted by the ‘Smesh Bros’ YouTube channel, was purportedly recorded by a local news outlet in Dagestan. The footage features Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father, the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, briefly discussing their training in the Khushtada village in the mountains of Dagestan. Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov stated:

“It’s 1,750 meters of elevation. It’s really hard to breathe here, but it’s easier when we’re down. Practice makes perfect. This is a training camp for Islam Makhachev, not for Khabib, because he’s got time until his fight.” [*Quotes courtesy of Smesh Bros YouTube channel]

Watch Khabib Nurmagomedov’s training footage in the video below:

---

The Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson dream fight was canceled on five separate occasions

Then-rising lightweight star Khabib Nurmagomedov was first scheduled to fight the always-dangerous Tony Ferguson at the TUF 22 Finale in December 2015. However, Nurmagomedov suffered a rib injury and withdrew from the fight.

'The Eagle' and 'El Cucuy' were later set to clash at UFC on Fox 19 in April 2016. Unfortunately, the fight was canceled yet again, as Ferguson withdrew due to a lung issue.

Furthermore, their third booking had them set for a fight at UFC 209 in March 2017. This time around, Nurmagomedov pulled out due to a botched weight cut that required hospitalization.

Regardless, the fight was eventually booked for the fourth time and was set to transpire at UFC 223 in April 2018. It fell apart yet again as Tony Ferguson suffered a knee injury.

The UFC subsequently booked their fight for the fifth time, setting them up for a clash at UFC 249 in April 2020. The fight was canceled yet again, as Russia’s Nurmagomedov couldn’t make it to the US due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions.

UFC 249 was postponed and transpired in May 2020, with Ferguson facing Justin Gaethje and losing via fifth-round TKO. Nurmagomedov later faced Gaethje at UFC 254 in October 2020 and defeated him via second-round submission. Nurmagomedov retired from MMA after beating Gaethje.

Meanwhile, Ferguson went on to lose to Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush in December 2020 and May 2021 respectively. Presently, Ferguson is set to fight Michael Chandler at UFC 274 on May 7th.