Islam Makhachev wants to face Tony Ferguson next following his dominant win over Drew Dober at UFC 259.
Makhachev is coming off a huge win at UFC 259. The Russian-born fighter defeated Drew Dober via third-round submission and then took to the mic to call out one of the division’s top five, Tony Ferguson.
“I want to choose Tony Ferguson because my team has a long citation with him,” Makhachev said to ESPN following the win. “I just want to make him shut up and smash him. Now Khabib is retired, but he keeps talking something. I want to make him shut up.”
Makhachev is of course referring to his longtime training partner and coach, Khabib Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov has a long history with Tony Ferguson. The two were matched up several times, with the bouts always falling through. The most recent canceled bout was last year at UFC 249, right at the beginning of COVID-19 lockdowns. With the matchup never materializing, now it is Nurmagomedov’s protege who wants to finish what his mentor started.
“RDA or Tony Ferguson but my dream fight is Tony because we have some deal with him. A couple of years now he still pressures Khabib. I don’t understand this guy. ” Makhachev said in his post-fight presser. “I want to help him retire. He’s old, his mind is a little bit crazy. That’s why I just want to help him.”
Nurmgomedov’s future in the UFC is still unclear at this time. He says he is retired from the sport, but UFC president Dana White says otherwise. If Nurmagomedov is retired for good, he sees Makhachev as the next champion from Russia. Nurmagomedov has been giving nothing but glowing reviews on his fighter all week leading up to this win.
Do you think Islam Makhachev could be a future UFC champion at 155 pounds?
