Tony Ferguson: Tony Ferguson deems Islam Makhachev better than Khabib Nurmagomedov while weighing in on their key skill

Tony Ferguson recently shared his thoughts on Islam Makhachev's abilities and believes he is better than Khabib Nurmagomedov in a key skill. Ferguson highlighted what Makhachev has been able to do better than Nurmagomedov in his recent bouts.

Ferguson is no stranger to Nurmagomedov as the two were longtime rivals, but never competed against each other as misfortune resulted in their scheduled bouts being canceled each time. With that in mind, 'El Cucuy' has analyzed 'The Eagle' very closely and is familiar with the risks he poses with his grappling.

In his latest conversation with journalist Helen Yee, Ferguson mentioned that Makhachev has showcased he is a better grappler than his longtime friend and mentor. He said:

"Somebody was telling me, 'Who do you think was a better wrestler? Was it Makhachev or was it Khabib?' And I think Makhachev is a better grappler, honestly. I think he's a little bit faster. I think with Khabib, I think he's just a little bit, not timid of the freestyle that Makhachev presents but I think Makhachev, he's not gonna do so bad at 170 [pounds]. He'll be alright."

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Check out Tony Ferguson's comments below (4:37):

Tony Ferguson weighs in on Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Islam Makhachev lightweight GOAT debate

Tony Ferguson also weighed in on the ongoing Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Islam Makhachev lightweight GOAT debate and explained why he believes it's difficult to answer.

In the aforementioned interview, Ferguson mentioned that Nurmagomedov and Makhachev have their own unique skills and purpose, which is why it's difficult to provide a definitive answer. He said:

"When it goes into who's a better fighter, I mean, each fighter is their own. I can't say one's better than the other. I think to each person, they have a certain purpose why they fight and why they win and I think that's completely different in Khabib's case." [5:20]

Check out Islam Makhachev's post-fight interview after becoming UFC lightweight champion below:

About the author

Giancarlo Aulino is an MMA news writer and interviewer at Sportskeeda. Having been onboard since 2021, Aulino has written list articles, before transitioning to MMA news writing.

In addition to writing at Sportskeeda, Aulino can be heard on VIBE 105.5FM in Toronto, Canada, where he conducts interviews called 'VIBEtalks.' Aulino's segments have featured many respected athletes, broadcasters, and celebrities. In 2024, Aulino, along with his VIBE 105 Sports team members, rebranded their content to The Game Plan 'TGP'.

In addition to MMA, Aulino was previously a pro wrestling writer and soccer (Football) reporter and covered Toronto FC (Major League Soccer) and York United FC (Canadian Premier League).

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Edited by Tejas Rathi