Islam Makhachev reveals DREAM super fight ahead of UFC 311 return: ‘He was a very good athlete’
Ahead of his return to action at UFC 311 next weekend, Islam Makhachev has revealed he would have loved the chance to take on former interim champion, Tony Ferguson during the veteran’s lightweight pomp — referring to the Oxnard native as a “very good athlete”.
Makhachev, the current undisputed lightweight champion, returns to action next weekend at UFC 311 in Los Angeles, rematching current number one ranked contender, Arman Tsarukyan in a re-run of their first pairing five years ago in St. Petersburg.
Most recently featuring at UFC 302 back in June, Makhachev racked up his third consecutive successful lightweight title defense, stopping former interim gold holder, Dustin Poirier with a fifth round D’Arce choke in their main event clash in New Jersey.
Islam Makhachev admits fight with Tony Ferguson was his dream pairing
And ahead of his pairing with Armenian star, Tsarukyan, Makhachev has claimed a super fight with perennial contender, Ferguson — prior to his record-setting eight fight losing skid, would have been his most sought after showdown in the Octagon.
“My brother Khabib (Nurmagomedov), supposed to fight this Tony Ferguson like five times,” Islam Makhachev told Adin Ross during a recent interview ahead of UFC 311. “The boys have injuries, the fight is canceled five times.”
And my dream to fight this guy that moment, because I always with Khabib , when Khabib have injury, I ask my manager, ‘Hey, can I step to fight with Tony?'” Islam Makhachev explained. “And, you know, Tony in that moment, it’s like very good athlete, very good fighter. He have like almost, yeah, more than ten-fight win streak in UFC. And this is the one of the fight which I want fight like three, four years ago, but not right now.”
In the midst of a record-setting eight-fight skid, Ultimate Fighter winner, Ferguson has been sidelined since last summer, dropping a first round rear-naked choke submission loss to rescheduled foe, Michael Chiesa.
And promising news of his return in the coming weeks, Ferguson is reportedly in talks for a move to the GFL (Global Fight League) soon — according to former-foe, Kevin Lee, who welcomed the chance to rekindle their infamous rivalry in the form of a rematch clash.
