Khabib Nurmagomedov surprised many fans after he expressed interest in coaching The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) against Tony Ferguson. Both the fighters were supposed to fight 5 times and
Khabib retired in October 2020 after choking Justin Gaethje out. Tony Ferguson is coming off a vicious KO loss against Michael Chandler, which put him on a four-fight losing streak. Despite the fact that his losses came against elite competition, questions have been raised about Ferguson’s retirement.
‘El Cucuy,’ still believes his career is far from over and is looking to settle a coaching rivalry with Khabib Nurmagomedov. While the two were scheduled to meet multiple times, the fight never took place, depriving us of a potential classic.
Although we didn’t see them settle their rivalry in the octagon, it will be fascinating to watch them compete outside as coaches.
Nurmagomedov recently explained why he likes the idea [ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto]
According to ‘The Eagle,’ the UFC roster is currently lacking in big names. Nurmagomedov joined Jon Jones, Henry Cejudo, Daniel Cormier, and Conor McGregor on the list of missing UFC stars.
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 has a big name, Conor not there. Like a lot of people are not there you know. Like Adesanya, Volkanovski, of course, Ngannou, and my brother, pound for pound king Kamaru Usman.
It’s only like maybe a few people you know. If me and Tony we’re in The Ultimate Fighter coach, I think they can create some good content.” He added
Tony believes he is the better coach and wishes to confer “The Eagle” father’s wish.
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 the best man wins on the team. I guarantee my coaching is a lot better than yours, Khabib. Not a lot of people understand that.”-Tony via MMA Hour.
Tony clarified that he has nothing personal against Khabib, but he did take a shot at him by claiming that he fled during the pandemic.
Ferguson stated that he built a team for his 12-fight winning streak in the UFC and that he can do so again. Ferguson had an impressive UFC career prior to the Gaethji fight.
Ferguson’s fortunes have not improved since his defeat by Justin, but he remains a competitor. Tony added, “It doesn’t matter if it’s Jiu-Jitsu, soccer, or any other sport.” He suggested shaking the man’s hand, squashing some beef, and moving on (speaking about Khabib).
