Tony Ferguson has sent kind words Khabib Nurmagomedov’s way following the death of Abdulmanap.
Khabib’s father passed away on July 3 at the age of 57. Abdulmanap suffered from complications from COVID-19. He died inside a Moscow hospital. The MMA community has sent warm messages to Khabib and his family. Ferguson didn’t hesitate to send his condolences to “The Eagle.”
Tony Ferguson Has Kind Words For Khabib Nurmagomedov
Ferguson took to his Twitter account to react to the news of Abdulmanap’s passing. He made sure to send the UFC lightweight champion his condolences.
“My Sincerest Condolences To You & Your Family @TeamKhabib. Keep Your Spirits Up Buddy. Respect To Your Father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. He Will Be Front Row When We Hopefully Compete Someday.”
Ferguson and Nurmagomedov haven’t been afraid to trade barbs but this goes beyond competition. Abdulmanap helped shaped Khabib into the man he is today. “The Eagle” often credited his dad with instilling discipline in him at a young age. Khabib is often reminded by his head coach Javier Mendez of “father’s plan” in-between rounds.
Nurmagomedov had plans of returning to the Octagon as soon as July. Once the status of Abdulmanap’s health became clear before his passing, the 155-pound ruler held off and is now aiming for a September return. Khabib is expected to face interim lightweight title holder Justin Gaethje in a UFC lightweight title unification bout.
Ferguson and Nurmagomedov were set to collide back in April. The coronavirus pandemic forced the UFC to hold off on those plans until May. Travel restrictions forced Khabib off the card, although “The Eagle” insisted that he could’ve traveled out of Russia if he knew the location ahead of time. Ferguson ended up losing an interim title bout to Gaethje via fifth-round TKO.
