Conor McGregor predicts arch nemesis Khabib Nurmagomedov will beat Tony Ferguson as UFC star eyes return
CONOR McGREGOR has tipped his rival Khabib Nurmagomedov to beat Tony Ferguson next year.
Ferguson is expected to fight the unbeaten UFC lightweight champion in March or April 2020.
‘El Cucuy’ is riding a twelve-fight win streak and has beaten some of the toughest opponents in the lightweight division.
His last fight was a relentless battering against Donald Cerrone that had to be stopped by the doctor and resulted in a victory for Ferguson.
Khabib last fought Dustin Poirier in September at UFC 242.
He submitted his opponent in the third round where he improved his perfect record to 28-0.
Prior to that, he squared off against McGregor in 2018 at UFC 229 – one of the most highly anticipated matchups in UFC history.
McGregor was convinced he would defeat the Russian, but Nurmagomedov ultimately finished him with a neck crank in the fourth round.
Since their fight, the pair have had many verbal run-ins, but for once, McGregor gave respect to Nurmagomedov’s fighting skill.
He said: “It’ll be an interesting one, I think Khabib would probably beat him.
“Again, you’ve got to see what the circumstances are. Anyone can win on any given day. Tony is a formidable fighter. Also, he’s very, very, tough.
“He does go down. He does get dropped. His guard has been passed. He’s been mounted by a lesser fighter. So I would favour Khabib in that bout”
McGregor will hold a press conference in Moscow on Thursday to promote his Proper No. Twelve whiskey brand.
He is expected to discuss his future in MMA and his recent controversies.
The Notorious made headlines recently after allegedly punching an elderly man for refusing to drink his whiskey.
He appeared in court last week and will appear again next Friday to enter a plea.
The Irish fighter hasn’t confirmed a UFC return date, but he has called out Frankie Edgar as a potential opponent.
UFC president Dana White expects McGregor to return to the Octagon a the start of 2020.