The next challenger for Khabib Nurmagomedov’s lightweight strap could be determined by a title eliminator bout between Tony Ferguson and Michael Chandler.
Nurmagomedov faces Justin Gaethje in a lightweight title unification bout in the UFC 254 headliner on Saturday. Should he come out on top and go 29-0, the question on everyone’s mind is who “The Eagle” should face to go 30-0.
As far as Nurmagomedov is concerned, Georges St-Pierre is his dream fight while he has no interest in rematches with Dustin Poirier or Conor McGregor.
UFC president Dana White, meanwhile, believes the winner of a potential No. 1 contender bout between Ferguson and Chandler makes sense.
“I think right now when you talk about him being the best 155 pounder ever, he’s beat Poirier, he’s beat McGregor, and he’s beat a bunch of the other guys in the division to get to where he is now,” White said on Mike Swick’s podcast recently. “I think you look at like Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson. Those two fight for a No. 1 contender spot. He hasn’t fought either one of those guys.
“So there’s still that. That’s there and then I don’t know. We’ll see how Saturday night plays out and we’ll go from there.”
Ferguson vs. Chandler Was Originally Offered
Of course, Ferguson was offered a fight with Chandler on the UFC 254 card after negotiations fell through for a Poirier fight.
However, “El Cucuy” took issue with the new UFC signing being paid more than him and ultimately decided to remain idle for the time being. He is still willing to fight Chandler, but only after he is paid his worth.
And with plans to fight in December, hopefully Ferguson and the UFC can find a resolution soon.
You can watch the full interview below:
