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Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson have hit back at Khabib Nurmagomedov. Their comments came after 'The Eagle' said his close friend and training partner Islam Makhachev deserves the next lightweight title shot in the UFC.
Makhachev is currently ranked No.4 in the 155-pound division. He last beat Dan Hooker at UFC 267 last month, which extended his winning streak to nine. He's repeatedly called for the next title shot, with the support of former champion Khabib.
Meanwhile, Gaethje defeated Michael Chandler at UFC 268 last weekend. Even UFC president Dana White stressed that 'The Highlight' is now the logical next challenger.
However, Khabib mocked Justin Gaethje yesterday by pointing out he'd been finished thrice in his last eight encounters inside the octagon. Today, the Dagestani also took a dig at Ferguson.
Gaethje thought it was time to retaliate. Responding to Khabib on Twitter, the former interim champ suggested Islam Makhachev doesn't have a better CV than him. He also reminded the two teammates that Beneil Dariush still sits above Makhachev in the rankings.
"Your boy has 2 and you want him to fight for the belt. My 3 losses are former champ, interim champ, and current champ. Islam beat #14 and a late replacement #6. Stay humble champ. Get in line. Don’t forget @beneildariush is sitting right in front of you."
'El Cucuy' also trolled Khabib by bringing up that their scheduled fight had been canceled five times in the past. In his own tweet, Ferguson claimed the Dagestani was always afraid to face him.
"Fathead, You Have Avoided Me Since 2015. You Fake Injuries & Hide Behind Your Team. After The Bloody Beating I Gave Your Teammate For Pissing Me Off You Want No Part. You’re Just A Shook One, No Balls All Strikes. The Fans Deserve Better From You Khabieber. 29 - One."
Justin Gaethje will most likely face the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier next
UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira will take on No.1 contender Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 269 in Las Vegas on December 11. It will be Oliveira's first title defense since winning the belt vacated by Khabib in May this year with a victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 262.
Unless 'Do Bronx' and 'The Diamond' fight to a draw or a split decision and want to contest a rematch, Justin Gaethje looks set to fight in the next lightweight championship bout.
