Over the weekend (Sat. October 6, 2018), a pair of lightweights really stood out after UFC 229 came to a close. Khabib Nurmagomedov defended his lightweight title against Conor McGregor in dominant fashion. Also, Tony Ferguson made a huge statement with a TKO win over Anthony “Showtime” Pettis.
With that being said, one would assume that the next fight to make is pretty clear. Ferguson deserves a chance to fight Khabib for the title next. Speaking to the media after the pay-per-view (PPV), Ferguson said he and “The Eagle” deserve to try and make the fight happen again (via MMA Junkie):
“Khabib and I deserve to fight,” Ferguson said. “We need to fight for the fifth time – we need to try this out again. He is the champ. I was the interim champ. I’m still the (expletive) champ. There’s no BS in this.”
Things are just a bit more complicated than that, however. After the UFC 229 main event, Khabib may have made things a bit more complicated going forward. Because he jumped the cage and attacked a McGregor teammate, he could be facing punishments that will keep him out of the Octagon for a bit.
Also, Conor McGregor’s desires hold a ton of weight with UFC brass. Having expressed interest in an immediate rematch, McGregor might be first in line for “The Eagle” when it’s time for him to return.
Do you think Ferguson vs. Khabib is the fight to make next?
