For those who thought the Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov saga was completed, assume once more. Simply when followers had packed away their hopes of ever seeing these two UFC legends sq. off, Ferguson has thrown one other curveball—this time with actuality TV in his sights and Khabib firmly in his crosshairs.
Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov
In a latest interview, Ferguson made it clear he’s bought his sights set on teaching a season of The Final Fighter (TUF) — however provided that Khabib is on the opposite facet of the gymnasium. “With The Final Fighter, it was at all times going to be in opposition to Khabib. That’s the one particular person I need to coach in opposition to,” Ferguson mentioned, giving followers a contemporary dose of the matchup that by no means was. This was in reference to TUF 33 debuting simply this week.
For these new to the saga, Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov have been the UFC’s final “will-they-won’t-they.” The 2 have been booked to battle not as soon as, not twice, however 5 instances, with every try falling aside as a consequence of accidents, weight lower disasters, and a worldwide pandemic for good measure.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, the undefeated light-weight king, retired in 2020 together with his good document intact, whereas Ferguson, recognized for his wild preventing type and even wilder soundbites, has stored plugging away within the division.
Now, Ferguson desires to take the rivalry out of the octagon and into the TUF home. “I can’t wait to educate on the present… When it goes into it, I coach folks to coach to kill folks, and what higher else than an individual that’s like an murderer?” he mentioned, by no means one to draw back from a dramatic metaphor.
Tony Ferguson’s enthusiasm for teaching is evident, and he claims he’s able to cross on his distinctive model of chaos to the subsequent technology. “Once I bought the construction to have the ability to go in there and put it behind the expertise and the conditioning – bought lower up they usually didn’t need to return – that’s, in essence, I educate that. And that’s not simply hereditary, I educate that. And once I educate that, I educate them to be comfy in entrance of cameras.”
Ferguson’s message to Khabib was delivered together with his trademark mixture of bravado and a wink: “So, whenever you’re prepared – I do know you’re preparing, dude – I’m simply beginning to coach. So once I get greater and higher and stuff like that, the teaching factor is like these little ideas that you just had after your diploma. I’m including them up, and so we’ll see you quickly, buddy.”
Whether or not Khabib Nurmagomedov, now extra coach and businessman than fighter, will chunk is anybody’s guess. But when the UFC desires scores, placing Ferguson and Nurmagomedov collectively beneath one roof is a recipe that’s arduous to beat. In spite of everything, if they’ll’t battle within the cage, possibly they’ll at the very least battle it out with clipboards and whistle drills.
