Khabib Nurmagomedov made it big by defeating Conor McGregor (Image credit: Getty)
UFC Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has highlighted one excuse that might be used ahead of the Tony Ferguson fight at UFC 249.
The pair have been scheduled to meet four times in the past, however, both have had to pull out due to injuries.
This is the fifth time the pair are set to meet and recently spoke about in a press conference. Khabib is the younger of the fighters at 31 while Ferguson is 36, and that is something that was brought up during an interview.
ESPN’s Brett Okamoto spoke about Ferguson’s age and Khabib claimed that haters could use that as an excuse against him:
“I am not worried, but I understand this is very big excuse for people. They are gonna say ‘Oh, if they fight before, say four/five years ago, it was interesting but now, OK, if Khabib beat him, he is 36/37 years old’.
“This is a very big excuse for haters, for his friends, for him. This is like what I think.”
Khabib also said that many people talk big about a rival before a fight. However, that changes as soon as the champion puts them down.
Khabib has beaten several big names during his illustrious UFC career, but he claimed that Ferguson is a name he wants badly.
This is going to be their first meeting in the Octagon, and the Russian added that this was for his legacy too:
“For my legacy, for my list. I need Tony Ferguson, for sure, I need this guy’s name. I put this guy’s name on my list and then I can say ‘who else?’. Nobody can say nothing.”
The bad blood between the pair was there for all to see during the press conference. During the face-off, Ferguson asked Khabib to lay down his belt next to the interim Lightweight title that the American won.
But Khabib kicked that belt off the stage. Fortunately, the fighters did not come to blows as Dana White tried to keep things under control.
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