Khabib Nurmagomedov on why he is open to coach in TUF against Tony Ferguson
Khabib Nurmagomedov surprised many by expressing interest in coaching The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) against Tony Ferguson. Nurmagomedov recently explained why he finds the idea appealing.
According to 'The Eagle', there is a dearth of big names on the UFC roster at the moment. Nurmagomedov named himself alongside Jon Jones, Henry Cejudo, Daniel Cormier and Conor McGregor in the list of missing UFC superstars.
The former lightweight champion believes he and Ferguson can provide some content for the UFC as rival TUF coaches. Nurmagomedov recently told ESPN MMA's Brett Okamoto:
"I like this idea to be honest. I like this idea. We can do some stuff. Because right now it's like, not too many big stars in the UFC right now. Even myself I'm finished, Jon Jones is not there, Henry Cejudo not there, Daniel Cormier not there, like of course I don't like this guy but he have big name, Conor not there. Like lot of people is not there you know. Like Adesanya, Volkanovski [sceptical], of course Ngannou, and my brother, pound for pound king Kamaru Usman. It's only like maybe few people you know. If me and Tony we're in The Ultimate Fighter coach, I think they can create some good content."
Watch Nurmagomedov's interview with ESPN MMA below:
Tony Ferguson believes he is a better coach than Khabib Nurmagomedov
Tony Ferguson is coming off a vicious KO loss against Michael Chandler that put him on a four-fight skid. Albeit his losses came against elite competition, questions have been raised regarding Ferguson's retirement.
However, 'El Cucuy' believes he is far from over and is looking to settle a coaching rivalry against Khabib Nurmagomedov. While the two were slated to meet on multiple occasions, the bout never came to frution, depriving us of a potential classic.
Ferguson now believes he could put the rivalry partly to rest by beating 'The Eagle' as a coach. The 38-year-old told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour:
"I believe that when his dad [Khabib’s] said we were supposed to compete, I believe that. I would love to be able to coach against him in The Ultimate Fighter, how about that? You know, best man wins on the team. I guarantee my coaching is a lot better than yours, Khabib. Not a lot of people understand that.”
Watch Ferguson's appearance on The MMA Hour below: