Khabib Nurmagomedov recently retired, which once again has sparked the GOAT conversation in the sport of mixed martial arts. Every time one of the greats has stellar performances, the all-time pound for pound rankings shakes up. The retirement also opens up the UFC lightweight division for the taking. With many top competitors in rotation, Tony Ferguson believes that he’ll be facing Dustin Poirier soon for the vacant lightweight title.
UFC 254
On official scorecards, Justin Gaethje won the first round of the fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov according to two out of three judges at UFC 254. Both men pushed the pace and respected each other. Gaethje was able to land a few hard leg kicks. Furthermore, he was able to stay alert throughout the fight as “The Eagle” pressed on. However, Khabib was able to step into power shots, eventually, grab Justin, and submit him in the second round. Usually, Khabib dominates his opponents with a vicious ground and pound. However, Khabib was conscious of the submission finish against Justin, and pre-determined the finish due to a reason he revealed later.
Tony Ferguson Speaks on Potential Title Shot vs Poirier
Now that Khabib is retired, Ferguson is ready for a title shot. And, he thinks that he’ll end up facing Dustin Poirier for the title. He spoke about the matchup on Submission Radio.
“I called out everyone on one post and Dustin already f*****g said let’s do it… The way I called it, was it has to have myself and you got to have Dustin Poirier for the title,” Ferguson said. “I mean, Gaethje f*****g lost. I’ve been sitting here doing my sh*t and making sure I’ve been cool, calm, and collective. Being real, give me the f*****g title shot, give me my chance. You guys want to see me fight and I really want to fight.”
Choosing a Contender
The UFC has many different directions they could turn towards. Tony Ferguson, Michael Chandler, and Dustin Poirier are all waiting for a shot at the belt. Additionally, Gaethje is still listed as the interim champion. So, it would be logical to believe that he would be one half of any matchup made.
With Khabib officially retired, the division is now wide open.