![Khabib Nurmagomedov (left) and Tony Ferguson (right). [via YouTube MMA Junkie]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/2c783-17010802454324-1920.jpg)
![Khabib Nurmagomedov (left) and Tony Ferguson (right). [via YouTube MMA Junkie]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.25'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQG/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMrOFT//xAAhEAABBAEDBQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEBREABiESExUkUv/aAAgBAQABPwCnuWLKEx46CxGliWyyVrRnpzjJSRzkE8HVXtuunVkSW6qx7j7KHVe2DyoZ+Nf/xAAWEQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAL/2gAIAQIBAT8A2pf/xAAXEQEAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAMR/9oACAEDAQE/AKwXGf/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov defended his title three times but could never face his interim counterpart, Tony Ferguson, who had to vacate the belt due to injury.
The two fighters were slated to go up against each other five times, but their matchup never materialized due to various issues, such as injuries and COVID-19.
The two also had a few skirmishes in press conferences, and that included the conference call for UFC 249, which saw Nurmagomedov brutally roast Ferguson over his interim title.
Khabib Nurmagomedov could not leave Russia due to restricted air travel:
“Tony you have fake belt. Sell this. Sell this and make some money. [Ferguson: 'It looks shiny. All those belts that you got and all this Reebok sponsorships, that’s the s**t I don’t give a f**k about']. Now you talk about Reebok, eh? Because these guys don’t give you contract, now you jealous. Hey, they make very good shoes now. I can order for you.”
Check out the comments below:
Tony Ferguson expresses his sadness over Khabib Nurmagomedov's retirement
Tony Ferguson has not quite been the same since his fifth attempt at scheduling a fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov fell flat at UFC 249. He lost to Justin Gaethje at the pay-per-view and has since continued to spiral in a lengthy losing streak.
'El Cucuy' has lost six straight fights and tripled his career losses in the last three years. Nurmagomedov retired in 2020 and Ferguson admitted to not feeling the same ever since, even stating that a part of him left with 'The Eagle'.
He said on The MMA Hour:
“I’ve never really sat there and thought about the wins, losses, or the trophies, or anything like that. I’ve always just been compete, compete... And I know when Khabib left, a little part of me left with that. It kind of sucked a little bit, because we’ve always had that, I won’t say negative energy, but that hype that was built around that. And then when that disappeared and the pandemic hit, and [my] f*****g team left. There was nothing else left for me, kind of, except what I told myself was I wanted to compete. I wanted to compete enough so that I would maybe, possibly, win or lose, Khabib would come back.”
Check out his full comments below [11:20]:
