Islam Makhachev wants to fight Tony Ferguson next due to history between him and Khabib Nurmagomedov
UFC lightweight Islam Makhachev made his comeback to the Octagon worthwhile after a dominant victory at UFC 259. He faced Drew Dober on the main card of the event.
Islam Makhachev displayed his supreme grappling skills as he handled the reins of the fight. Putting up a wrestling masterpiece, Islam Makhachev kept Drew Dober pinned to the ground, for the most part, allowing him little or no breathing space. His transitions were extremely smooth, and the on-and-off ground-and-pound helped in wearing Drew Dober down.
The bout came to an end in round three as Islam Makhachev executed an arm-triangle choke. The immense pressure he applied with his shoulder forced Drew Dober to tap out. With his teammate and UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner, Islam Makhachev made a bold statement in the Lightweight division with his performance tonight.
ESPN's Bret Okamoto revealed on Twitter that he had a conversation with Islam Makhachev after the fight. he asked Islam who he would want to face next, and the latter said that he wants to face Tony Ferguson. Bret Okamoto wrote,
"Islam Makhachev told me the fight he wants most is Tony Ferguson, because of the history there between Tony and Khabib. Khabib told me that's the fight he wants most for Islam as well. Timeframe for Islam to fight again as of now is July."
What is the history between Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov that Islam Makhachev wants to end?
Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov have a rich history of canceled fights between them. The UFC has booked a fight between them on five different occasions. However, it appears as if the bout was always cursed, as the fight did not materialize even once.
The most recent cancelation of the fight came with the advent of the coronavirus. Khabib Nurmagomedov was stranded in his country with travel restrictions laid down across the globe. Justin Gaethje replaced 'The Eagle' to face Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 for the Interim Lightweight title. 'The Highlight' would go on to snap Ferguson's 12-fight win streak and face Nurmagomedov in October for the lightweight title.
Islam Makhachev hopes to step in for his now-retired teammate and settle the score with 'El Cucuy'. However, the #14-ranked Makhachev just beat an unranked Drew Dober. On the other hand, Tony Ferguson is coming off back-to-back losses against Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira and is now No. 5 in the Lightweight rankings.
So Makhachev ideally needs another win under his belt to be able to fight someone in the top five. Nevertheless, his performance tonight may force the UFC's match-makers to consider his wishes.