Last-ditch effort? Tony Ferguson takes shot at ‘fathead’ Khabib Nurmagomedov in reflective rant
Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov will forever be known as the one that got away – or will it?
It seems Ferguson (25-5 MMA, 15-3 UFC) might be attempting to breathe life into the five-time failed booking one last time through a pair of ranting tweets he posted Tuesday.
Ferguson, 36, is coming off losses to Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira whereas Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC) is still riding his unprecedented career-long winning streak. And that’s not even factoring in the minor detail that Nurmagomedov insists he’s retired.
In vintage “El Cucuy” fashion, Ferguson took shots at “fathead” Nurmagomedov for a weight mishap ahead of UFC 209 in March 2017. He also alluded to Nurmagomedov’s manager, presumably Ali Abdelaziz, not following protocol, which he says led to the cancellation.
“UFC🥇209” Fathead Pulled Out A Day Before Interim Title Fight. He Did Not Make Weighins Due To His Manager Not Following UFC Protocol 🤦♂️ We Were Offered A Different Opponent At Same Weight (155lbs) w/ Different Pay & No Interim Title # MyFavorite SnapJitsu™️ ⚔️🕶 -CSO- 🇺🇸🏆🇲🇽 # pic.twitter.com/J1lTCmIra3
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) January 12, 2021
Additionally, Ferguson posted a video of his faceoff with Nurmagomedov from March 2020. The two fighters squared off in Las Vegas for a UFC 249 pre-fight press conference, which would be the final time to date the two have gone face-to-face. The fight was canceled when Nurmagomedov was impacted by travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Take Off Your Glasses” I Measured My Takedowns Multiple Times On Good Ol’e Fathead W/ The Belt He Kicked 🍃 He Was Very Angry Crew 🍃 💪🤓🤙 # AnklePick ⚔️🕶 Champ Shit Only™️ 🇺🇸🏆🇲🇽 # TUF🥇Dayze Fuckin’A # Road2Gold # HereWeGoAgain 🏈# FuckEmIfHeCantTakeAJoke 💪🦸♂️👍 pic.twitter.com/OGyoazUAK0
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) January 12, 2021
So yeah, the odds are that this fight will never happen. But it makes you wonder: Could the fight that got away – even if it doesn’t make much sense rankings-wise – be the one that entices “The Eagle” to return for one more soar? I, for one, wouldn’t say no.
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