Tony Ferguson Sends Message To Khabib Nurmagomedov After He Announces UFC Retirement

Tony Ferguson still wants a fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov despite 'The Eagle' announcing his retirement from MMA.

The Dagestani fighter defeated Justin Gaethje via submission at UFC 254 to defend his lightweight title for the third and final time, before revealing he will not be stepping inside the Octagon again.

He promised his mother that after this bout he would not fight again without his father and coach Abdulmanap, who sadly passed away from COVID-19 complications in July.

"This is my last fight," an emotional Khabib told Jon Anik after leaving his MMA gloves on the canvas.

"No way I can come here without my father. I promise it will be my last fight. If I give my word, I have to follow this."

Khabib finishes with an incredible 29-0 record, with 13 victories coming in UFC after a dominant run that began in 2012.

Image: PA

His retirement means that fight fans will never get to see the dream/cursed bout between Ferguson and Khabib. Incredibly, despite being scheduled on five separate occasions the fight has never happened due to a series of problems arising.

There's been weight-cutting issues and injuries on either side, while coronavirus was the latest factor as it meant Khabib was stuck in Russia and could not fight 'El Cucuy' at UFC 249.

Gaethje was the back-up plan and 'The Highlight' made the most of his opportunity, beating Ferguson with a stunning performance to become interim champ and earn a shot at Khabib.

Image: PA

However, Ferguson is still desperate to mix it up with Khabib and sent a message to him on Instagram.

Khabib, however, is a principled man and someone who does not go back in his word. In fact, he's already talked about wanting to move into coaching MMA and passing on his expert knowledge.

"We have a lot of young generation guys to coach," Khabib said in a video with his coach Javier Mendez of AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) following his final victory.

"We are going to come back on the top very soon. I'm going to help you. I always help you - how many years I help you coach?!"

Topics: UFC News, MMA News, Tony Ferguson, UFC, MMA

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

@https://twitter.com/JoshLawless_