June 8, 2019: What is the significance of the date that Khabib Nurmagomedov mentioned in his response to Tony Ferguson?

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson face off before their scheduled fight at UFC 249 [Credits: @ufc via Twitter]

Khabib Nurmagomedov took a dig at Tony Ferguson in a tweet after 'El Cucuy' slammed the Russian over a new weight class at Eagle FC.

'The Eagle' just put up a date, June 8, 2019, in response to Ferguson's demeaning tweet.

The date signifies the day when Tony Ferguson fought Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone at UFC 238. It was Ferguson's last victory inside the octagon, after which 'El Cucuy' lost three on the bounce.

Check out the tweet from Khabib Nurmagomedov below:

@TonyFergusonXT June 8, 2019

Tony Ferguson also responded to the Russian's dig and claimed that the Russian pulled out of their scheduled fights at UFC 209 and UFC 249.

He referred to the time when Khabib Nurmagomedov was hospitalized due to complications with his weight cut before UFC 209. Nurmagomedov then flew to Russia before UFC 249, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both events led to the clash being canceled.

Here's Tony Ferguson's response to Khabib Nurmagomedov's tweet:

"@TeamKhabib UFC 209 Balmed It On The Cake, Felt Fear For His Life. UFC 249 Ran To Momma #towelgate -CSO-"

The two fighters have a long-standing history with one another as they were scheduled to face off five times. However, due to unfortunate circumstances, the long-time rivals never stepped inside the octagon against each other.

Ali Abdelaziz offers Tony Ferguson a chance to grapple with Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson was one of the biggest MMA fights that never saw the light of day. This left fans with a sense of disappointment, especially given the pair's rivalry.

However, Ali Abdelaziz provided a glimmer of hope that the pair would meet. Khabib Nurmagomedov's manager revealed in a tweet that he was willing to offer 'El Cucuy' a chance to face the Dagestani in a grappling match.

"@TonyFergusonXT what do you think about doing a grappling match with the Eagle in the future? I’m not picking on you, I’m serious."

@TonyFergusonXT what do you think about doing a grappling match with the Eagle in the future? I’m not picking on you, I’m serious. @TeamKhabib

While there was no reply from either Ferguson or Nurmagomedov on the matter, MMA fans around the world have been speaking about the optimistic tweet from Abdelaziz. A few hoped to see the two foes face off in some form of combat.

Check out some of the tweets below:

Khabib vs Ferguson in a grappling match? I’m for it 🙏🏽

@JJMMA02 @TeamKhabib @TonyFergusonXT i mean, ali offered tony a grappling match with khabib why didn't tony accept it

@NonlinearHorse @MMAFighting @TonyFergusonXT Khabib would smoke tony in a grappling match, conventional bjj barely works against world class sambo

Will Khabib's grappling be too much for Tony Ferguson? Or will Khabib be overwhelmed by Ferguson's unorthodox style? twitter.com/alcoholicfeels…