Tony Ferguson just can’t quit Khabib Nurmagomedov.
It’s been over five years since Ferguson and Nurmagomedov were last set to compete for a UFC title, a booking that fell through just as several of their scheduled meetings had. The battle of lightweight greats remains one of MMA’s most frequently mentioned “what if?” fights and it appears “El Cucuy” still has the rivalry on his mind.
In an interview with Helen Yee, Ferguson said he still loves the idea of someday coaching opposite Nurmagomedov on The Ultimate Fighter, having previously won the long-running UFC reality show himself in 2011 as a member of team Brock Lesnar.
“I would definitely take the opportunity to coach against him,” Ferguson said. “He’s a knucklehead, he’s still fat, and he wears that hat, I’d love to clean the mats with it.
“But I think that the opportunity, instead of talking shit, it would be interesting to see what kind of skill level each person has. You’re talking about—I mean, I was coached by Brock, right?—I think it would be an interesting draw. So, I mean, Khabib, for sure, definitely. I could talk to you all day about that.”
Ferguson and Nurmagomedov have both stayed in the headlines, with Ferguson still competing 17 years into a pro career—and currently in an eight-fight slump—and Nurmagomedov staying active in retirement, most notably as coach and cornerman for UFC star Islam Makhachev.
A protégé of the undefeated Nurmagomedov, Makhachev has carved out an impressive legacy of his own, having lost just once in 28 fights and claiming the record for most consecutive UFC lightweight title defenses at four. Next for Makhachev, he moves up to 170 pounds to face welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena later this year.
From what Ferguson has seen, Makhachev stacks up well against his mentor, at least when it comes to their highly vaunted wrestling.
“Somebody was telling me, who do you think is a better wrestler, is it Makhachev or is it Khabib?” Ferguson said. “I think Makhachev is the better grappler, honestly. I think he’s a little bit faster. I think with Khabib, I think he’s just a little bit more not timid of the freestyle that Makhachev presents, but I think Makhachev he’s not going to be so bad at 170. I think he’ll be alright.”
Asked for his thoughts on Makhachev vacating the title, Ferguson thinks he’s done enough to earn his shot at two-division champion status, though he couldn’t help but take the opportunity to take one more verbal shot at Nurmagomedov.
“OK, so you have Islam Makhachev that went up north to 170 and then you have Ilia Topuria from ‘45, he’s going to go up to ‘55 to fight [Charles Oliveira],” Ferguson said. “Look, when it goes into it, you have to have somebody f*cking fight for the belt. ... When you have [four title defenses], I think that’s a smart move. When you go up, you’re going to try to build legacy, you’re going to do certain things like that.
“And he’s going to run like his cousin.”
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