Tag: Tony Ferguson

Edson Barboza gives advantage to Tony Ferguson over Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 249

Edson Barboza explains why he gives a slight edge to Tony Ferguson over Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 249.

[autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag] is familiar with both men in the UFC 249 main event.

UFC 249 is headlined by lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag], who defends his title against [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag]. Barboza has fought both of them.

Barboza, who suffered losses in tough battles against both fighters, told Helen Yee he gives the edge to Ferguson.

“I think Ferguson has a little advantage because he’s a little bit better striker,” Barboza said. “He’s a little bit more creative. Everybody knows what Khabib is doing, but he’s doing it very well. Everybody knows, but nobody can stop it. But I feel Ferguson has a little bit (of an edge) because he’s more creative – you never know what’s coming.

“Both guys are super powerful, but I think Khabib is more powerful, especially on the ground. He’s a little bit stronger. But some things, Khabib is better, some things Tony Ferguson is better. That’s what makes the match very exciting.”

Barboza went five rounds with Nurmagomedov at UFC 219 and survived a one-sided, 15-minute beating. He had his moments on the feet, but it was all Nurmagomedov on the ground.

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Against Ferguson at the TUF 22 Finale in 2015, Barboza went through a thrilling and bloody battle in which both men stood toe-to-toe and traded. Ferguson was able to cut Barboza badly with an elbow, and ultimately capitalize on a scramble on the ground to lock in a D’Arce choke submission.

Having experienced both men at their best, Barboza said the main factor is Ferguson’s unpredictability.

“It’s going to be a great fight,” he said. “I’m very excited for this one. It’s funny, because sometimes I think about this fight and say, ‘Man, it’s a good fight for Khabib.’ But at the same time, Ferguson is hard to fight because of his style. He’s a little bit different with everybody.”

Barboza, who’s lost four out of his past five, recently announced that he will move down to 145 pounds. He has yet to have a fight booked.

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Khabib vs. Conor 2? Tony Ferguson reminds everyone who they’re sleeping on

Amid talk of a potential Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor rematch, Tony Ferguson took to Instagram to issue a reminder that he is ready to spoil those plans.

[autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] says people should pump the brakes on all the [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] rematch talk.

UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov has arguably the stiffest test of his career ahead of him at UFC 249 in Brooklyn, N.Y., yet people are already looking past his bout with Ferguson and talking about “The Eagle’s” next title defense.

“El Cucuy” isn’t cool with that and, based on his latest Instagram post, he wants those people to know that they all must have forgot who Nurmagomedov is facing on April 18.

Former UFC interim lightweight champ Ferguson has won his last 12 fights, leaving the majority of his opponents in a pool of blood. The undefeated Nurmagomedov will also pose Ferguson’s toughest challenge to date, which is why this matchup is considered one of the most eagerly-anticipated in UFC history.

The pair’s booking at UFC 249 represents the fifth time the UFC has tried to make the fight happen, but this time the stakes have never been higher and, given the recent talk of Khabib-Conor 2, Ferguson would like to thank everyone, including Dana White, for the added motivation ahead of his return.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Spinning Back Clique: Buy or sell a new Conor McGregor moving forward after UFC 246?

Conor McGregor’s victory leaves a lot of questions to be answered. And what about Maycee Barber’s stuning loss and Kanye West moment?

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode, “Gorgeous” George, “Goze” and John Morgan unpack the ramifications of [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s quick TKO win over Donald Cerrone in his return fight at UFC 246, as well as an odd post-fight situation that played out.

SHOW RUNDOWN:

  • We got through an entire McGregor fight week with zero antics, zero drama, nothing crazy from “The Notorious” one. Is this a new, reinvented McGregor moving forward? And if so, what do we think of that?
  • All right, so now that McGregor got the victory – and in dominant fashion, no less – he has a plethora of options in front of him: [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] rematch? [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag]? [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag]? [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] trilogy? A boxing match? It’s clear what UFC president Dana White wants. But what will actually happen?
  • Speaking of which, [autotag]Floyd Mayweather[/autotag] is in the UFC’s plans for 2020 and vice versa, according to White. What could this possibly mean for McGregor and others, and is this something we want?
  • The odd man out in all of the talk about McGregor and the UFC lightweight title picture is [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag], who is probably the rightful No. 1 contender after champion Nurmagomedov and Ferguson fight in April. White admitted that he and Gaethje are not on the same page. What’s the right move here with Gaethje?
  • Outside of McGregor-Cerrone, perhaps the biggest story coming out of UFC 246 was [autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag]’s huge upset of star prospect [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag], who was dominated in her first loss. To boot, the 21-year-old Barber suffered a torn ACL during the fight. And afterward, she gave us a Kanye West moment by stealing the mic to address the crowd before Joe Rogan could interview Modafferi – which was weird, even if she meant well. What do we make of all this?

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 12 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

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Conor McGregor’s options are abundant after UFC 246, but what does he think of them?

It seems like everyone wants to fight Conor McGregor, but what does he want after a dominant return at UFC 246?

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] has options, but it doesn’t seem like he cares.

A former UFC two-division champion, McGregor (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) dismantled Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds Saturday at UFC 246. The victory attracted attention from both the 155-pound and 170-pound division counterparts.

In a post-fight news conference, UFC president Dana White made one thing clear: [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] is the frontrunner to face McGregor next.

Shortly after White left the podium, it was McGregor’s turn. Unlike his boss, the Irish superstar voiced indifference. At this point in time, a specific opponent is a much less important detail to McGregor than a date or location.

“I don’t think the ‘who’ matters,” McGregor said. “… The who doesn’t matter for me now. I’m looking at dates now. I know March was there. I’m going to have a look at a calendar and see where we’re at. … I’ll be ready. I’ll have a celebration tonight. I’ll chill with my kids tomorrow. I’ll show Junior the fight on the tele and see how he reacts. I’ll see what he thinks of it. Then (I’m) back to training.”

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Despite his unwillingness to single out a lone challenger, McGregor commented on a number of potential next foes. First up, McGregor analyzed Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC). Then he addressed four others fighters.

***

Khabib Nurmagomedov

The rivalry between McGregor and Nurmagomedov is well documented. The two engaged in one of the most vicious, personal build-ups to a fight in the promotion’s history. Since he was submitted by Nurmagomedov in October 2018, McGregor has been adamant about a rematch. Sure, he’d like a second crack at the Russian champion, but McGregor isn’t willing to risk preparation for impulsiveness.

“I think, ‘OK, the lightweight title will be there.’ That will be there,” McGregor said. “You see the difference in the physique – the preparation in that. That will come back around that (title) shot. I’m certainly not going to, if (Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson) goes ahead, sit out and wait and then wait through holidays and injuries and all these these things that go with it. I’d be excited to get that one back.”

Tony Ferguson

The other half of the UFC 249 main event, [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] (25-3 MMA, 15-1 UFC) could be McGregor’s next fight should he defeat Nurmagomedov. Ferguson’s name has begun to creep further onto McGregor’s radar, which was evident during UFC 246 fight week. McGregor referenced Ferguson’s departure from management team Paradigm Sports, which they used to share.

“We’ll see what happens,” McGregor said. “We’ll see what happens in the Tony fight. Tony is another interesting foe for me. We’ll see what happens. If something happens, I’ll be here.”

Floyd Mayweather

Any combat sports fan not living under a rock would know McGregor and [autotag]Floyd Mayweather[/autotag] already have competed against each other once. In August 2017, McGregor crossed over into boxing to take on the undefeated superstar in is own combat sport.

While Mayweather finished McGregor in Round 10, it was the boxer who called out the MMA fighter on Saturday night. On Instagram, Mayweather posted a fake poster of “Mayweather vs. McGregor 2.”

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“He forgot ‘McGregor Sports and Entertainment’ on the poster,” McGregor said. “That right there cuts him out, so it’s me and Manny. Let’s see what happens. That Floyd, he’s a funny man, that Floyd. We’ll see what happens. The discussions are always on going. They never stop. You know Floyd is going through money fast. He’s far from retired, and that rematch will happen at some stage.”

Jorge Masvidal

A seemingly unanimous choice for the 2019 “Breakout Fighter of the Year,” [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] is close to entering superstar status – if he hasn’t already. Since he defeated Nate Diaz last November at UFC 244, Masvidal (35-13 MMA, 12-6 UFC) has slowly but surely entered the conversation as a potential McGregor rival.

At UFC 246, Masvidal sat cageside, dressed in a Versace bathrobe. The attire got the attention of McGregor, who poked fun at Masvidal on the microphone in the cage – and then a second time at the post-fight news conference.

“Talk about blowing,” McGregor said. “If you ask me, that was ridiculous. I didn’t know what was going on there. The old ladies in Ireland, they wear house coats watching the soap operas. I’m like, ‘Why’s this guy sitting in a (bathrobe)?’ Whatever. All the best. …

“Of course, of course (I’d want the fight.) Let’s see what happens. I’d like to scoop up that (belt). That’s not a great belt, is it? But I’ll still take it (and) add it to the list, you know? It wasn’t a good night for Jorge, if you ask me. All the best to him.

Nate Diaz

McGregor’s back-to-back fights against [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] are nothing short of legendary. So when McGregor defeated Cerrone on Saturday night, it came to no surprise that Diaz (20-12 MMA, 15-10 UFC) took to Twitter to comment on the events that had just transpired.

Check out Diaz’s tweets here.

McGregor’s response?

“Let’s go, Nathan,” McGregor said. “Let’s go, brother. Number three is always here. We’re right here, Nathan.”

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Conor McGregor adds Tony Ferguson to list of desired foes after UFC 246

Conor McGregor has added a new name to his list of potential future foes should he get through Donald Cerrone at UFC 246.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] will have a laundry list of potential matchups to pick from if he can get through Donald Cerrone at UFC 246.

Thursday, he added a new foe to the lineup.

That name? [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag].

Although McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) has expressed numerous times that he doesn’t believe the scheduled UFC 249 lightweight title fight between Ferguson (25-3 MMA, 15-1 UFC) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) will come to fruition, it’s still official, as of now.

Assuming it goes through unharmed, there’s a chance Ferguson, a former interim lightweight titleholder, could be the one to dethrone Nurmagomedov and hand him his first loss. Even if that doesn’t happen, McGregor said “El Cucuy” is a matchup of high interest.

“I think regardless of the result I think I should probably face both of these men (Nurmagomedov and Ferguson),” McGregor told MMA Junkie at UFC 246 media day. “I would like to face both of these men. I’d like to face Tony Ferguson. I’ve had a history with Tony, right? We managed Tony (at Paradigm). He was well looked after. We had him one of the highest paid non-champion in the game. There’s history with Tony. So, I’d like a bout with Tony at some stage.”

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McGregor sees a rematch with Nurmagomedov – who submitted him in a memorable contest at UFC 229 in October 2018 – on the horizon, as well. He wants to up the ante from the first meeting, though, and go to fight on Nurmagomedov’s home soil.

“Of course the rematch (with Khabib), we must make that rematch,” McGregor said. “I’m pushing for the Moscow bout. Both men are certainly in the crosshairs.”

UFC 246 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

The fight will be contested at welterweight, and McGregor said that was for good reason. He sees the 170-pound weight class as the hottest in the UFC, and has already mentioned champion Kamaru Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) and “BMF” titleholder Jorge Masvidal (35-13 MMA, 12-6 UFC) as names on his list, as well.

After both Usman and Masvidal discussed McGregor as on option early on Thursday, the Irishman doubled down on both those matchups.

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“All the eyes are lighting up when ‘The Notorious” name is mentioned,” McGregor said. “This 170 bout, I made this bout at 170 for the excitement that is going on at the 170-pound division. And my want to get in there for my situation for the ‘Bad Mother (Expletive)’ belt or the actual world championship bout. So, both of those men are also on my radar.”

McGregor won’t be able to sort out his exact plan until after UFC 246, but he said he’s looking to keep very active in 2020 and told the world they’ll “see a lot” of him. He will take whichever opportunity comes up quickest – noting March as a potential return date – but first things first, he’s looking to get back into a winning groove against “Cowboy” this weekend.

“I just want activity,” McGregor said. “I’m going in there looking to acquire rounds in here. I’m not in a rush. I’m going to put pressure on Donald, I’m going to hurt Donald. If he can last I’ll be happy to have five rounds in here and then build on these rounds.”

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Belal Muhammad’s ‘leaked’ video of Tony Ferguson’s training camp will have you laughing so hard

It’s the perfect parody of Tony Ferguson’s unconventional training methods.

As we pointed out already, [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] is preparing for his huge UFC 249 title fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov like only Tony Ferguson can – with, how do we put this … unconventional methods of training.

Hell, let’s just got call it what it is: What Ferguson does in the gym is bonkers. But that’s what we love about him. There’s nobody like the former UFC interim lightweight champ. “El Cucuy” can’t be imitated when it comes to how he puts in work. “Champ sh*t only,” as like likes to call it.

That being said, you will laugh so hard at UFC welterweight [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag]’s “leaked” video of Ferguson’s training camp. I dare you to keep a straight face while watching this (you can’t):

The elbows during the bench press, the “McNuggets” blurt before striking the squat machine, the break-dancing moves, the “normal” tire flips … it’s the perfect parody.

Take a bow, Belal Muhammad. I’m in tears over here.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Tony Ferguson shares videos of unconventional UFC 249 training regimen

You can accurately describe UFC 249 headliner Tony Ferguson in a lot of ways, but “conventional” isn’t one.

You can accurately describe UFC 249 headliner [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] in many ways, but “conventional” isn’t one of them.

Known for his out-of-the-box training methods inside the gym, Ferguson (25-3 MMA, 15-1 UFC) is preparing for his UFC 249 clash with Khabib Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC) in the sort of manner we’ve come to expect.

Over the past several days, Ferguson has posted a handful of training videos on Instagram. Among the videos, “El Cucuy” throws a baseball, slides around on a heavy bag, and dances in a compression therapy suit.

UFC 249 takes place April 18 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The main card streams on pay-per-view following prelims likely on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

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Ahead of his long-awaited UFC return, check out Ferguson’s training videos below:

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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20 fights on our MMA wishlist for 2020

Here are 20 fights MMA Junkie hopes to see happen in 2020.

With a new year comes new things, including good ol’-fashioned fist fights. What kinds of matchups are we hoping to see in 2020? What kinds of bookings do we want the MMA gods to bless us with? 

Here’s a list of some ideas and why they may (or may not) make sense:

Dillon Danis

20. [autotag]A.J. Agazarm[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag]

This list is being kicked off by “El Jefe” himself. I know this will automatically trigger the Twitter trolls, but hear me out. Danis and Agazarm easily are two of the best grapplers Bellator has in its lighter weight classes. The two have competed against each other plenty of times in the grappling world and they don’t have a lot of love for each other. Their name value doesn’t match their experience level in MMA, so they both often have fights against unknown opponents, which makes their fights hard to promote.

So why not pit them against each other? It makes sense for both fighters skill-level wise, it could be a fun buildup, and we could certainly see some fun, world-class jiu-jitsu.

Bryce Mitchell

19. [autotag]Kron Gracie[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]

Let’s keep the jiu-jitsu train rolling. Gracie is jiu-jitsu royalty and Mitchell scored a cool-looking submission in his most recent fight – a twister. The UFC certainly is not shy about throwing Gracie against someone with far more experience (cough, cough – Cub Swanson). I know Mitchell is a bit more experienced than Gracie, but not by a crazy margin. Both guys need fights and have interesting and opposing personalities. Why not?

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Top 10 MMA fighters of the 2010s: Discussion video, facts about our list

How did we reach our overall list, and did we get it right?

In pitching the MMA Junkie staff on coming up with a composite ranking of the top 10 fighters of the 2010s, I had people asking me about the criteria. My answer was simple: There is no criteria. Whatever you think it means to be among the 10 greatest fighters of the last decade, that’s the criteria.

To me, it’s better this way. I could’ve emphasized in-cage results, in which case No. 1 ends up being [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] without question. Same for emphasizing impact on the sport: [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] comes out on top easily. But what fun would that have been? There’s so much more to consider when trying to pick the top 10 fighters of the last 10 years among a pool of talent that never has been better.

The beauty of our list is that all 14 MMA Junkie staff members, who’ve spent so many years covering the sport, submitted individual top 10 lists. No discussion, no debate, no one person’s bias determined our final rankings. We all had a say in this. From there, it was a matter of mathematics – add up points for each fighter ranked and divide by 14 to determine the final rankings.

Did we get it right? There’s no such thing with these lists. But I’d like to think ours is as official as it gets.

For reaction to our top 10, watch the roundtable discussion video above with MMA Junkie’s John Morgan and Dan Tom, and MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”

Below is a ranking of all 26 fighters included, as well as notes about our list.

COMPLETE RANKINGS

1. [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]
2. [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag]
3. [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag]
4. [autotag]Georges St. Pierre[/autotag]
5. Conor McGregor
6. [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]
7. [autotag]Ronda Rousey[/autotag]
8. Khabib Nurmagomedov
9. [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]
10. [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]
11. [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag]
12. [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag]
13. [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag]
14. [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag]
15. [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag]
16. [autotag]Cain Velasquez[/autotag]
17. [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag]
18. [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag]
19-t. [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag]
19-t. [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag]
21. [autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag]
22-t. [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag]
22-t. [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag]
24. [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag]
25. [autotag]Carlos Condit[/autotag]
26. [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag]

NOTES

  • 26 different fighters were included in at least one staff member’s top 10
  • 8 different fighters were included in only one ranking
  • Individual No. 1 rankings: Jon Jones (7), Demetrious Johnson (3), Georges St-Pierre (2), Daniel Cormier (1), Ronda Rousey (1)
  • Cormier was the only fighter to be included in each of the 14 rankings.
  • Jones and Conor McGregor each were excluded from one staff member’s list.
  • Of 8 fighters included in only one ranking, Cain Velasquez was highest (No. 3); Eddie Alvarez was lowest (No. 10).

INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS

Mike Bohn, senior reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Georges St-Pierre
3. Jose Aldo
4. Demetrious Johnson
5. Anderson Silva
6. Conor McGregor
7. Max Holloway
8. Tony Ferguson
9. Khabib Nurmagomedov
10. Daniel Cormier

Dave Doyle, senior editor
1. Demetrious Johnson
2. Daniel Cormier
3, Jon Jones
4. Anderson Silva
5. Georges St-Pierre
6. Cris Cyborg
7. Jose Aldo
8. Khabib Nurmagomedov
9. Conor McGregor
10. Eddie Alvarez

Matt Erickson, assistant managing editor
1. Daniel Cormier
2. Demetrious Johnson
3. Amanda Nunes
4. Conor McGregor
5. Max Holloway
6. Patricio Freire
7. Ronda Rousey
8. Georges St-Pierre
9. Ryan Bader
10. Jose Aldo

Brian Garcia, MMA Junkie Radio host
1. Georges St-Pierre
2. Jon Jones
3. Daniel Cormier
4. Henry Cejudo
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Khabib Nurmagomedov
7. Stipe Miocic
8. Amanda Nunes
9. Max Holloway
10. Ryan Bader

George Garcia, MMA Junkie Radio host
1. Jon Jones
2. Georges St-Pierre
3. Daniel Cormier
4. Khabib Nurmagomedov
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Amanda Nunes
7. Cris Cyborg
8. Stipe Miocic
9. Conor McGregor
10. Henry Cejudo

Farah Hannoun, reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Ronda Rousey
3. Conor McGregor
4. Demetrious Johnson
5. Khabib Nurmagomedov
6. Daniel Cormier
7. Amanda Nunes
8. Max Holloway
9. Stipe Miocic
10. Henry Cejudo

Ken Hathaway, senior video editor
1. Jon Jones
2. Amanda Nunes
3. Ronda Rousey
4. Max Holloway
5. Conor McGregor
6. Daniel Cormier
7. Georges St-Pierre
8. Anderson Silva
9. Khabib Nurmagomedov
10. Cris Cyborg

Simon Head, reporter
1. Demetrious Johnson
2. Daniel Cormier
3. Jon Jones
4. Amanda Nunes
5. Donald Cerrone
6. Georges St-Pierre
7. Conor McGregor
8. Douglas Lima
9. Cris Cyborg
10. Michael Bisping

Nolan King, reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Daniel Cormier
3. Amanda Nunes
4. Demetrious Johnson
5. Max Holloway
6. Stipe Miocic
7. Georges St. Pierre
8. Jose Aldo
9. Conor McGregor
10. Khabib Nurmagomedov

John Morgan, lead staff reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Conor McGregor
3. Ronda Rousey
4. Georges St-Pierre
5. Daniel Cormier
6. Demetrious Johnson
7. Amanda Nunes
8. Jose Aldo
9. Michael Bisping
10. Donald Cerrone

Simon Samano, managing editor
1. Demetrious Johnson
2. Georges St-Pierre
3. Jon Jones
4. Daniel Cormier
5. Khabib Nurmagomedov
6. Amanda Nunes
7. Tony Ferguson
8. Conor McGregor
9. Ronda Rousey
10. Max Holloway

Danny Segura, reporter
1. Ronda Rousey
2. Jon Jones
3. Cain Velasquez
4. Georges St-Pierre
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Jose Aldo
7. Cris Cyborg
8. Conor McGregor
9. Khabib Nurmagomedov
10. Daniel Cormier

Abbey Subhan, video editor
1. Georges St-Pierre
2. Conor McGregor
3. Jon Jones
4. Daniel Cormier
5. Amanda Nunes
6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
7. Frankie Edgar
8. Anderson Silva
9. Carlos Condit
10. Ronda Rousey

Dan Tom, fight analyst
1. Jon Jones
2. Jose Aldo
3. Khabib Nurmagomedov
4. Dominick Cruz
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Conor McGregor
7. Ronda Rousey
8. Daniel Cormier
9. Max Holloway
10. Tony Ferguson

‘Whoever wins that fight is the best ever’: Chael Sonnen likes Tony Ferguson’s chances against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 249

Chael Sonnen says he thinks Tony Ferguson could present Khabib Nurmagomedov his toughest test to date at UFC 249.

[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] could be [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s toughest test to date and says the winner could legitimately lay claim to being the greatest lightweight in UFC history.

Speaking to RT Sport, ESPN analyst Sonnen offered his take on the upcoming fight between UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) and former interim champion Ferguson (25-3 MMA, 15-1 UFC) at UFC 249 on Apr. 18.

“You know, it’s very hard to pick against Khabib with what you’ve seen and I must also share with you I have a bias towards Tony because we are former teammates,” said Sonnen, before revealing: “I do really like Tony’s chances going into this, and I like them more and more as the fight gets closer.”

Ferguson, like Nurmagomedov, is on a 12-fight win streak in the UFC. His wild and unpredictable style has led to 20 career finishes, including a hat-trick of finishes in his last three outings against Kevin Lee, former lightweight champ Anthony Pettis, and Donald Cerrone.

Undefeated Nurmagomedov has mauled everyone put in front of him, including back-to-back submissions over former two-division king Conor McGregor and former interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier.

And, considering both men’s resumes, Sonnen says the fight is particularly tricky to call.

“When you’re 28-0 in any division, man, you claim that division,” he said. “Particularly when you are the world champion and he already got some heavy lifting out of the way on the way to the title. If you go back and look at the names that he beat – 10-8 rounds against guys, two or three 10-8 rounds against (Edson) Barboza, just by example – this guy is a hammer. But you are talking about Tony Ferguson – that’s a whole other animal.”

“He’ll attack you from the back, he’ll attack you on the walkout, you don’t know what Tony Ferguson would do. I would never count him out. Whoever wins that fight is the best ever.”

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