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“Millions of fans are waiting for it. There’s never been anything like this in UFC history. It’s the most important fight in UFC history.”
MMA fans have been waiting a long, long time for Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson, but is it the most important fight in UFC history? Khabib’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, certainly seems to think so.
Speaking to RT Sport in a recent interview, the Dagestani man explained why Khabib vs. Ferguson is a fight for the ages.
“Because this isn’t the first attempt, I think it is one of the most important events in this sport,” Abdulmanap said. “It was planned four times and called off twice because of Khabib and twice because of Tony. Millions of fans are waiting for it. There’s never been anything like this in UFC history. It’s the most important fight in UFC history. It is important not only for me but for my republic, my country, and all our supporters.”
Nurmagomedov and Ferguson have been scheduled to meet four times in the past, and four times the fight has been cancelled. Perhaps now, though, with both men in their primes and Khabib defending his UFC lightweight title, the timing couldn’t be more perfect. Perhaps it was always meant to be this way. Destiny.
Khabib is 28-0 and has looked all but unstoppable in his UFC title run, and Ferguson, 25-3, is a wild card. The Ultimate Fighter 13 winner presents an awkwardness and unorthodoxy that could very well disrupt Nurmagomedov’s equilibrium, which is what makes this such an intriguing — and important — fight.
UFC 249: Khabib vs. Ferguson is scheduled to take place next year, April 18 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.