Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson, the greatest bout never happened! Khabib’s reputation in the UFC speaks for itself and the same can be said about Ferguson. Albeit, the latter has his reputation changing and shifting in the last few years. On the other hand, ‘The Eagle’ remains undefeated and it looks like this will be his legacy.
In a recent interview, Ferguson spoke about how Khabib leaving the Octagon for good really affected him. There was always the great Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov rivalry. However, a fight such as ‘El Cucuy’ vs. ‘The Eagle’ could have gone down in history as one of the most entertaining. Here is Ferguson’s take.
Khabib left Tony Ferguson high and dry
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After tearing down Justin Gaethje in 2020, the legend ended his career at a 29-0 record. A spotlessly clean record for a fighter of his stature is only understandable. However, it was his fight with Ferguson that never saw the light of day that upset both, fans and Ferguson. Speaking in a recent interview he said this about his potential opponent’s retirement.
“I know when Khabib left, a little part of me left with that,” he told Ariel Helwani of the MMA Hour. “Kind of sucked a little bit because we’ve always had that, I don’t want to say negative energy but that hype that was built around that, and then when that disappeared and the pandemic hit then the fu*king team left and then there was nothing else left for me.”
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The third time around was right after ‘The Notorious’ made a move to boxing. The championship title was vacant and the two were meant to battle for it but ‘The Eagle’ pulled out because of another health issue. Subsequently, the fourth time around, it was once again Ferguson who canceled it due to a knee injury. Finally, the fifth time, Nurmagomedov couldn’t leave Russia because of Covid-19. This led to Ferguson fighting Justin Gaethje in 2020 and saying goodbye to his 12-win streak.
Will Tony Ferguson ever go up against Khabib?
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One of the two ended with a perfect win record and another lost his record just after missing his dream fight. Is it fair for Ferguson to start his win streak by demolishing Khabib Nurmagomedov? Maybe so, while fans may not agree, a battle between the two can have interesting odds. Khabib is considered one of the sport’s strongest fighters who can make anyone submit. Unfortunately, the retirement looks pretty solid for him.
Also Read: Khabib Nurmagomedov Pens a Cryptic 3-Word Message Following MMA Retirement Decision
It’s only smart for Khabib to end on a win when he’s won enough and hasn’t had a single loss in his career. Yes, this does leave Ferguson feeling empty because of the very nature of things. Some fans argue that it was fated to never happen. So many cancelations are a thing of rarity especially when the fight is this high caliber. ‘El Cucuy’ can now only hope his dream opponent returns to fight him.
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Do you think Nurmagomedov will ever enter the cage again? Let us know in the comments.
