The UFC 242 main event will feature Khabib Nurmagomedov defending his lightweight championship against Dustin Poirier. One very invested observer for this fight will be #2 ranked Tony Ferguson. In the minds and hearts of many, Ferguson is the rightful #1 contender due to his 12-fight winning streak and having never lost the interim lightweight championship won in 2017 over Kevin Lee.
Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov were all set to determine the official light heavyweight champion at UFC 223, but once again, the fight fell out, leaving Nurmagomedov to claim the championship with a victory over Al Iaquinta. Since then, the UFC lightweight title picture has continued to move forward, with El Cucuy constantly lurking in the background. Tony Ferguson is prepared to emerge from the shadows and step in as a short-notice replacement if needed at UFC 242, but if the Nurmagomedov/Poirier fight goes as planned, Ferguson provided his prediction and breakdown of the fight:
“I see Khabib winning,” Ferguson told Helen Yee of Eyes on the Game. “I mean, Poirier’s got some very strong boxing. His forward pressure, I think Khabib is going to be able to slip and throw. I just think Poirier fights off the ropes. I think I’ve said that a couple times. And unless he does that real fast, it’s a bad habit to have, and you get punch drunk from that, and you get dropped. And with Khabib, he gets you on the ground, it’s game over.”
Do you agree with Tony Ferguson’s prediction? Will Khabib Nurmagomedov successfully retain his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier at UFC 242?
