Khabib Nurmagomedov & Tony Ferguson Exchange Heated Words On Media Call
With UFC 209 a little over a week away, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson are set to fight for the UFC interim lightweight title at the event. Tensions are already high leading into this event between the top lightweight contenders. Nurmagomedov and Ferguson took over the UFC 209 conference call on Thursday and exchanged in some bitter shots against each other. It went as far as everything from their past opponents to Ferguson’s contract negotiations with the UFC. It was wild, to say the least.
“Look, man, if somebody doesn’t piss me off, I’ll finish them in the first round. This dude pissed me off,” Ferguson said at one point following another heated exchange. “I’m going to drag him into deep waters and make him deal with the hammerhead. I’ve already talked to him about it. You guys are going to see f*cking fireworks. This should be the main event. I don’t know why Stephen Thompson and T-Wood (Tyron Woodley) are the main event. This is the sh*t everybody is talking about. This is the third time. The third time’s the charm.”
The fight between these two fighters is one the UFC has attempted to make three times over the last few years but the fight was never made due to injuries that were sustained on both sides. Now, they’re healthy and riding two longest winning streaks in the division, which should make for an exciting fight. The winner of this fight will fight UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor later this year.
“Everybody knows I make this fight. And Tony knows I make this fight, because he tried running away,” Nurmagomedov said. “I ask you about money. Why don’t you take money? I ask you about $200,000. This is big money in USA.”
“I don’t want your fake-ass money, dude,” Ferguson responded. “You know what, you keep this money, you wipe your ass with it, do whatever the f*ck you want with it. Why don’t you donate it? Why don’t you be a man and donate that.”
“No, calm down, calm down, relax, relax,” Nurmagomedov said. “Because you understand. You understand who is who and what happens after this fight. I bring you here. Nobody bring you. I bring you.”
“You didn’t make sh*t, dude,” Ferguson said. “You didn’t make sh*t. What, you going to fight another Darrell Horcher? Is that what you’re going to fight? Another Darrel Horcher and bully him? Come on, man. Nobody brought (me here). So all the nine victories that I have, nine victories that I have in a row, you’re going to be like: ‘I did that. Tony, I did that. I did all the work.’ You didn’t do sh*t. F*ck you, Khabib. You didn’t do nothing, dude. You’re a bully. I’m a f*cking matador. I’m going to finish your ass. You ain’t got sh*t against me.”
They continued to trade shots back and forth with virtually every topic under the sun being brought up.
“You got too many people talking in your ear,” Ferguson said at one point. “And that’s your problem. That’s why I’m going to win. That’s it. You’re focusing on so much other bullsh*t, dude. You’re talking about breaking arms and talking about fighting Conor, doing this and that and all this other stuff. Dude, I hear you. I understand it, man. You’re going to lose. You’ve got to look out for yourself.”
“I think about you,” Nurmagomedov responded. “I think I’m going to break you. This is what I think. I don’t think about Conor, other stuff. What are you talking about? You talk about Conor.”
“Dude, I am unbreakable,” Ferguson said. “Trust me, dude, I’m a f*cking machine now. You have no idea what you’re dealing with. You just woke me up. You keep laughing. You keep laughing. I’m the new John Wick.”
“How many times you lose?” Nurmagomedov replied. “Danny Castillo beat your ass. You remember this?”
“Danny Castillo didn’t do sh*t,” Ferguson angrily shot back. “He f*cking laid on me, dude. I beat his ass too. Trust me, the only thing he could do is hold on for dear life. You lost to (Gleison) Tibau. I’m sorry but you lost to Tibau. Sorry, not sorry. You remember that fight? Look, I’ll post it up today. I’ll post it up today, and I’ve seen you lose in that Sambo fight, that Sambo match where you were f*cking crying on your knees because you lost.”
“Which Sambo fight?” Nurmagomedov said. “When I am 17 years old? Of course I lose a lot of times when I competed amateur. But professional career…”
“Everything’s been handed to you,” Ferguson interrupted. “Nothing’s been handed to me. Nothing has been handed to me. I had to earn every single step of the way.”
UFC 209 takes place March 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass. You can listen to the conference call here:
