Home

UFC

Conor McGregor Makes Bold Predictions For Tony Ferguson vs Khabib Nurmagomedov

Published 10/23/2019, 4:10 AM EDT

Follow Us

Even with the super fight with George St Pierre and the rematch with Conor McGregor are on the table, Khabib Nurmagomedov is likely to defend his title against Tony Ferguson next. 

Khabib Nurmagomedov has dominated every single opponent since throughout his MMA career. With an unbeaten record of 28-0, he is arguably the best lightweight this sport has ever seen. However, there are a few fighters who are believed to be skilled enough to dethrone the lightweight champion, and Tony Ferguson is one of them.

Tony Ferguson has been on a reign of terror in the lightweight division with his 12 fight winning streak. His unorthodox approach in the octagon, intense pace and cardio, and elite level of striking and grappling certainly makes him the toughest contender Khabib Nurmagomedov has faced in his MMA career. However, the former UFC two-division champion, Conor McGregor does not agree with that argument.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

During a tour of Russia, when asked about the fight between Ferguson and Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor said:

“It’ll be an interesting one, I think Khabib would probably beat him. Again, you’ve got to see what the circumstances are. Anyone can win on any given day. Tony is a formidable fighter. Also, he’s very, very, tough. He does go down. He does get dropped. His guard has been passed. He’s been mounted by a lesser fighter. So I would favor Khabib in that bout”.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Conor McGregor fought Khabib Nurmagomedov last year in UFC 229. Though McGregor handed Nurmagomedov the first round he has ever lost, he was fairly dominated by the Russian wrecking machine. However, Conor McGregor claims that the rematch will be very different. McGregor said:

“I believe we overestimated his grappling severely. And we also underestimated his striking. So there are things we will correct. I will go on the offensive from a grappling standpoint. I believe I was winning the clinch exchanges in round three in the bout. But it was a little too late, a little too little, too late in the bout. And also my lack of commitment and, you know, I wasn’t as fully committed as I should be carrying injuries and whatnot. So there’s many things we can improve and sharpen up when the rematch happens”

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Conor McGregor has been inactive since his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov. Although he was calling out Frankie Edgar recently, UFC President, Dana White has shown no interest in making that fight. Hence at the moment, it’s not official who is going to be the next opponent for Conor McGregor. However, he is likely to make his return early next year.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Alok Nayak

766Articles

One take at a time