Khabib Nurmagomedov seemed to put his years-long rivalry with Tony Ferguson to bed last night following his final UFC defeat.
The former lightweight rivals had a bitter feud, infamous for having countless fights fall through due to a variety of outlandish reasons. Weight cut hospitalisations, tripping over a wire during a media appearance and the coronavirus pandemic were all to blame for various dates between the pair falling apart throughout the years.
Ultimately, Justin Gaethje beating Ferguson for his interim belt in 2020 spelt the end of any chance fans had of seeing that fight. And in the end it also was the beginning of the American’s decline, never scoring another win as his losing streak last night hit an historic eight on the bounce.
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Tony Ferguson loses eighth straight fight at UFC Abu Dhabi
Ahead of last night’s UFC Abu Dhabi event, Tony Ferguson was warned that he would likely be forced into retirement, even in the unlikely case that he were to win. He faced off with Michael Chiesa, who himself was riding a three-fight losing streak, and struggled from the opening bell.
Chiesa managed to get Ferguson down and within the first round got to his back and landed the submission. It marked his first win since the beginning of 2021, and he immediately showed his respects to the legendary former interim champion and The Ultimate Fighter winner as he bowed following the final bell.
The loss marked Ferguson’s eighth in a row, setting a new record for the UFC after the similarly legendary BJ Penn went on a seven-fight skid before retiring. He left just one glove in the octagon after the fact, noting that while he doesn’t want to retire, he has no interest in fighting elsewhere than the sport’s biggest promotion.
Khabib Nurmagomedov heaps praise on Tony Ferguson as he eyes retirement
In attendance for the fight was Khabib Nurmagomedov, who was in Abu Dhabi to corner his cousin Umar Nurmagomedov in the show’s co-main event. The legendary Russian shared an iconic and infamous feud with Ferguson, but was full of praise for the American as he paid his respects following the seeming end of his career.
“It is not a surprise for me because he’s 40 years old,” Nurmagomedov told the UFC Europe Instagram. “I just want to wish him all the best. He is truly one of the best [to ever compete] in the UFC. His life is just beginning because he’s just 40 years old and just finished his MMA career. Now, it’s going to be a different life, much better life.”
Nurmagomedov also lamented the fact that the pair were never able to share the cage, adding” “Of course in prime, my prime and his prime, it was supposed to be a very interesting fight. But what I can do? It was, he had couple time injuries, I had a couple time injuries, it is what it is, you know? Sometimes we have plans but God has his plan and we cannot control this.”
Tony Ferguson refuses to hang up his gloves following another loss
Unfortunately for fans who are concerned for Tony Ferguson’s safety, the former interim champion refused to fully commit to retirement from the sport. He is not interested in fighting elsewhere than the UFC, but it seems that he won’t be offered any more fights, seemingly ending his career.
But he refused to leave his gloves in the ring officially, telling fans that he was leaving just one, and keeping the other ‘in case’. “I don’t want to retire. I really don’t. But I love the UFC and I don’t want to go anywhere else,” he told Daniel Cormier in an emotional post-fight interview.
“So, I’m not going to put both gloves down. I’m going to put one and I’m going to keep the other one just in case.” However, in a video caught by the UFC’s social team seconds later, he was much more defiant, saying “I ain’t done yet, nah it ain’t time yet, man. I got a lot of s*** to work on.”
- AIN’T TIME YET: Tony Ferguson offers retirement update after eighth consecutive loss at UFC Abu Dhabi