Tony Ferguson believes he’s the man to bring back the one that many call the GOAT.
UFC 279 may be the last time that mixed martial arts fans get to see Nate Diaz in the Octagon. He and Khamzat Chimeav will battle in the main event, but they aren’t the only competitors to keep an eye on during Saturday’s event. Tony Ferguson is attempting to halt a four-fight losing streak, but he also has his eye on a former champion in Khabib Nurmagomedov and perhaps a stint on The Ultimate Fighter.
“We are waiting on Khabib’s fat [expletive,]” Ferguson said during the media day. “We got the green light for the brass, his coach, and his agent. He’s the one that’s scared. Regardless of if it’s a fight or not, we will go and coach and be sure to make it entertaining.”
Nurmagomedov walked away from the sport with an undefeated record after defeating Michael Chandler at UFC 254. Since then, Dana White has continued to try to get him to come out of retirement, and Ferguson believes he’s the man to answer that charge.
“I am the one to get him out of retirement. That dude is not retired,” Ferguson said. “His father said that this would be the fight to make, and he has that in his head.”
Tony Ferguson will need to rebound against Li Jingliang
Li Jingliang is looking to build some sustained momentum at welterweight. He last picked up a victory over Muslim Salikov back in July but has split his last four fights, going 2-2 in the last two years. In eight years, he has found a lot of success in the Octagon, putting together an 11-5 record under the UFC banner. While that is impressive, he’s stumbled when it’s time to defeat top-ranked competitors such as Khamzat Chimeav, Neil Magny, and even Jake Matthews.
“I’m the best of all time. That’s a title that will never go anywhere,” Ferguson said.