Khabib Nurmagomedov says his preparation to fight Tony Ferguson on April 18 was his best training camp ever. He also says he hadn’t felt that good in quite some time.
Nurmagomedov ended up being forced to pull out of the bout after being stuck in Russia due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was disappointing news for the Dagestani champion, especially after such a good camp.
“It was the best training camp. I haven’t felt myself that good for a while, but we’ll get ready for come back even better,” Nurmagomedov wrote on Instagram.
It is expected that Khabib Nurmagomedov will fight the winner of Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje in the fall. As he wrote in his post, he’s looking to come back even better.
Nurmagomedov is coming off a submission win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 to defend his lightweight belt. Before that, he beat Conor McGregor for his first title defense after winning the vacant belt over Al Iaquinta.
It is no doubt a shame for fans to hear that Nurmagomedov had his best camp as this is a fight many fans have been waiting for. It has now been booked five times but has never come together due to fluke injuries, botched weight cuts and now a pandemic.
Whether or not it will be booked for a sixth is to be seen. But, Dana White didn’t seem too optimistic of the fight happening in 2020.
