Published 11:42 IST, October 15th 2019
UFC: Khabib to defend against Ferguson; Update on McGregor-GSP fight
UFC: Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated lightweight contender Dustin Poirier at UFC 242. With the next challenger still uncertain, here is all you need to know.
Khabib Nurmagomedov last competed in the Octagon at UFC 242 when he defeated lightweight contender Dustin Poirier with a third-round rear-naked choke to retain the UFC Lightweight championship and continue his undefeated 28-0 streak which is the longest in MMA right now. Khabib made a class gesture to the fallen Poirier post-fight while his next challenger still remained uncertain.
The next credible contender for Khabib Nurmagomedov
After a dominating performance against Dustin Poirier, many believe that the only lightweight that could bring the champion some issues now looks to be Tony Ferguson, who last defeated Donald Cerrone via a technical knockout in a relentless battle. Ferguson has come back through the line after rehabilitation, took on two world champions and seems to be the clear next contender for the title.
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson - is the cursed fight finally happening?
In the run-up to their last encounter at UFC 209, a botched weight cut from Khabib resulted in a fall off amidst claims of the Russian gorging on tiramisu. Ever since, just like he loves associating Conor McGregor with McNugget, he nicknamed the champ ‘tiramisu’ and would frequently reference his love for the dessert. He recently shared a mock-up of a food magazine cover featuring the champion.
According to reports, Khabib is due to defend his UFC lightweight title at the Barclays Center or Madison Square Garden early next year with Khabib agreeing on a deal to next fight Ferguson in a New York mega-fight which can be considered four years in the making. The Khabib-Ferguson fight has been booked three times previously, with health or injuries conspiring to scupper the bout each time. The UFC president Dana White was always open to the idea of Khabib-Ferguson match despite calling it a cursed fight. It seemed obvious that either of the two teams was clearly not coming to the negotiations table in recent time.
What happens to the Conor McGregor and GSP super-fight?
Of all the names listed, Khabib has also shown interest in fighting UFC Welterweight George Saint Pierre over the past few months. It’s a fight that keeps coming up. GSP retired from the sport after White shut down the idea on multiple occasions, yet people keep talking about it. Over the past few months, the possibility of the match has gone from “it will remain a fantasy fight” to “we might see that happen” territory with Dana White coming out and starting a dialogue that George could be coming to the table. This goes to show that White was just promoting through the media that they have other options if the Ferguson fight does not happen. As for GSP and McGregor fight, while there is still a possibility, it is reported that it's not happening anytime soon.
Updated 14:38 IST, October 15th 2019