Tony Ferguson has respect for Islam Makhachev, the teammate of longtime rival Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Ferguson was a guest on “The MMA Hour” last month and discussed potentially burying the hatchet with Nurmagomedov. “El Cucuy” said he’ll always joke around about Nurmagomedov, especially since he still believes there was controversy surrounding one of his weigh-ins.
This is something Ferguson has been very outspoken about when it comes to American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) fighters, including Daniel Cormier. However, when it comes to Islam Makhachev, things are different.
“I’ll joke around and I’m going to continue to joke around because that’s how I am with my stuff,” Ferguson said. “Because, you know, obviously, he [Khabib] cheated on the scale too over there.
“But it’s one of those AKA things where they do that, and they get away with it. With Makhachev, he’s different. He’s different. I got respect for that.
“So, out of everything, and all due respect, I’m still giving Khabib the finger, but until that day when we do shake hands like man — maybe it’ll never happen, so, props.”
In regards to Ferguson, he’s currently on a four-fight losing streak at the moment. His last outing resulted in a second-round knockout loss to Michael Chandler. It was the first time in his career that Ferguson was knocked out unconscious.
As for Makhachev, things are going far better. He’s currently on a 10-fight win streak and is the No. 4-ranked lightweight in the world. Makhachev is likely up for a contender’s fight next or could even go right into a title bout against Charles Oliveira.
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