Tony Ferguson was never an elite lightweight, that’s according to the retired UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov and Ferguson’s rivalry has been ongoing ever since they were first booked to fight in 2015. Six years and four failed bookings later, the two fighters are in very different stages of their careers.
The undefeated Khabib (29-0) retired from MMA last October after defending his title against Justin Gaethje whilst Ferguson (25-5) has lost his last two UFC fights against Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje.
Talking recently to ACA fighter Magomed Ismailov, Khabib cited Ferguson’s age and his past opponents as reasons why ‘El Cucuy’ has never been “elite”.