According to Daniel Cormier, Tony Ferguson would have been the biggest challenge for Khabib Nurmagomedov had the duo faced off. Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson is a match-up that never came to fruition. Both fighters were scheduled to fight each other numerous times. However, it inevitably fell apart for various distinct reasons each time. Eventually, the former lightweight champion retired back in 2020 without facing his arch-nemesis. Today, this match-up has left several questions unanswered by the fans and even MMA pundits at large.
In a recent turn of events, Daniel Cormier, former Heavyweight champion and a close aide of Nurmagomedov made a startling revelation. On ESPN MMA, he asserted that Ferguson is not a fighter to scoff at, especially at the time he was scheduled to fight his teammate. In addition, he also praised the 40-year-old veteran for his skillset and claims that he could have been the biggest threat to Nurmagomedov. In the interview, alongside Chael Sonnen, he stated,
“This is the most dangerous guy for Khabib [Nurmagomedov] you gotta train so hard, you gotta do more, you gotta do this, you gotta do that. It felt that Tony Ferguson had the skills to do what most couldn’t.”
He further unveiled what made Ferguson a formidable challenge was the uncertainty behind his fighting style. And that is why the preparation for this match-up was tricky. In any case, one can only speculate about this match-up as the former champion is retired and the 40-year is on a devastating seven-match losing streak.
However, it bears a mention that for Ferguson, this rivalry lives on. Every now and then, he resorts to social media to take digs at his Dagestani rival. Only recently, he called out the former lightweight champion with some harsh words.
Tony Ferguson vows to be the one to defeat Nurmagomedov
Nobody has been able to get the better of the undefeated former champion ever. Not just that, he has only lost a couple of rounds in his entire career, making him one of the most dominant fighters of all time. Yet, Ferguson, despite being on a grave losing streak made a bold call out.
In a recent UFC India post, ‘El Cucuy’ took a shot at Nurmagomedov and inferred that he made the former champion retire, and that in itself adds a defeat to this beautiful 29-0 record. On the post, he commented,
“There’s My B*tch Run Fathead Run- Champ -CSO- # 29-1”
Safe to say, that the bad blood between them still exists and Ferguson may still be bitter for never fighting him. The likelihood of this bout taking place is less. However, the sport is unpredictable and one may never know.
