Tony Ferguson believes the students outperformed the masters.
Despite his abbreviated UFC lightweight title reign, Khabib Nurmagomedov is still considered by many to be one of the greatest mixed fighting artists of all time. In your case of Daniel Cormier, you call “Eagle” a bigger sports icon than Muhammad Ali.
But, as great as Khabib, “El Cucuy” thinks Islamic Makhachev is even better.
“And I think Makhachev is honestly a better grappler,” Ferguson said in a recent interview with Helen Yi. “I think he’s a little faster. I think he’s just a little bit with Khabib. It’s not the freestyle ti disease that Makhachev presents, but I don’t think Makhachev is that bad at 170. I think he’s fine.”
They never actually fought within the Octagon, but Ferguson and Habib engaged in one of the UFC’s most intense rivals. The two were scheduled more than five times apart, but for a variety of reasons the fight never came to fruition.
As Khabib retires and Ferguson leaves the UFC with a losing streak in eight games, it’s clear that the two will never calm their feud with a 4-ounce glove.
Islam Makhachev is preparing to conquer another weight class
As for Islamic Makhachev, the Daguestani Destroyer followed Khabib’s footsteps and won the lightweight championship in 2022 via a two-round submission victory over Charles Oliveira at the UFC 280.
No official dates have been announced due to their highly anticipated clashes, but the return of the UFC to Abu Dhabi in October is increasingly likely to be seen every day.