Tony Ferguson issues fiery response after Khabib Nurmagomedov says he's 'finished'; targets Justin Gaethje and Ali Abdelaziz
Tony Ferguson’s 12-fight winning streak came to a heartbreaking end at the hands of Justin Gaethje in May, suffering a brutal fifth-round TKO loss at UFC 249.
Ferguson’s aforesaid loss resultantly deprived him of the opportunity to face arch-rival Khabib Nurmagomedov in a much-awaited grudge match.
Instead, it’s Gaethje who received the opportunity to face Nurmagomedov in a UFC Lightweight title unification matchup on October 24th.
Tony Ferguson takes aim at Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, and Ali Abdelaziz
As we’d previously reported, Khabib Nurmagomedov has asserted that Tony Ferguson is “finished." He believes that Ferguson is likely to lose his next fight because when one takes as much damage as Ferguson took in his fight against Justin Gaethje, they are never the same again.
Additionally, Khabib went on to accuse Ferguson of being a “stupid guy” and questioned why the latter keeps talking about him. Although, Khabib did insinuate that he feels bad for Ferguson, he reiterated that Gaethje “smashed” him.
Tony Ferguson has now taken to his official social media account to respond to Khabib’s statements. El Cucuy put forth a tweet targeting Khabib, Gaethje, and the latter two fighters’ manager, Ali Abdelaziz. Ferguson’s tweet read as follows:
“@TeamKhabib @Justin_Gaethje I’ll see you soon, Fathead. You Can’t Run Well & Conditioning S***s. Only reason you feel bad is because you did bad. I Own You, Chicken # 200k & 20Pushups For The Homeless. U Two Are Managed By @AliAbdelaziz00. I’ll Make It A Point To See You Both”
What’s next for Tony Ferguson?
Presently, UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is set to face Interim UFC Lightweight titlist Justin Gaethje in a title unification matchup at UFC 254 on October 24th.
Gaethje is a highly accomplished amateur wrestler, an elite striker, and is hailed by many as a truly well-rounded Mixed Martial Artist.
The vast majority of MMA fans and experts consider Gaethje to be the toughest stylistic matchup for Nurmagomedov right now. Most combat sports personalities have noted that Gaethje’s outstanding takedown defense could force Khabib into prolonged striking exchanges.
Alternatively, a large section of the combat sports world opines that Gaethje would succumb to Khabib’s otherworldly wrestling skills and relentless aggression.
Regardless of the outcome of the aforementioned Khabib vs. Gaethje bout, it’s highly likely that the UFC could book Tony Ferguson in fights against both fighters. Khabib, Gaethje, and their manager Ali Abdelaziz have long been at loggerheads with Ferguson.
Add to the fact that UFC President Dana White has expressed interest in rebooking the grudge match between Ferguson and Khabib in the future, and a clash between the latter and Abdelaziz’s clients seems highly likely.