Gearing up for the biggest fight of his career, Tony Ferguson continues to surprise mixed martial arts fans with his unconventional training methods.
After a series of pullouts, the number one lightweight contender was booked against Khabib Nurmagomedov for the fifth time as they are slated to headline the UFC 249 pay-per-view event on April 18 at Barclays Center in New York.
Ferguson holds the longest and most active streak in the 155-pound division, winning 12 straight victories since his defeat to Michael Johnson eight years ago.
He is coming off a doctor stoppage win against Donald Cerrone at UFC 238 in June 2019, when he solidified his status as the strongest candidate for the next crack at a UFC gold.
The UFC 249 main event clash is being dubbed as the ‘most anticipated fight in UFC history,’ with the American challenger expected to give the defending champion the toughest test of his career.
Earlier this year, ‘El Cucuy’ gave us a glimpse of his unorthodox training while sending a warning to Khabib that he is coming after him.
See it below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7DlEbLhUaF/
On Monday, he once again uploaded a footage of his out-of-this-world training this time in Suplex City, where he was seen doing intense tackles and overhead flip.
Watch the video below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B90Jozqhc1y/
The lightweight champion quickly responded to Ferguson’s training video with a question: “Training with a belt and jeans?”
https://twitter.com/espnmma/status/1239747481648455680
Ferguson has vowed to give Khabib the first defeat of his career when they finally share the Octagon in their upcoming title showdown.
“Watch when you get your ass kicked by an old man,” Ferguson warned Khabib during their first faceoff (via MMA Fighting).
“I’ve just got old man strength. Champ s–t only, motherf–ker, I can’t understand you, you son of a b–h. I’m gonna mop the mat with your f–king hat.”
Meanwhile, Khabib believes much is at stake in this fight as they will not just fight for the lightweight championship but also for the top spot in the pound-for-pound rankings.
“Only one thing makes me sad, this guy [Ferguson] become a little bit old. He’s 36, 37 years old, when I beat him, people are going to talk about, ‘Oh, he’s old now.'” Khabib said.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B94SJvUJ6Zk/
The Nevada-based promotion is currently looking for a different venue for UFC 249 as the New York State Athletic Commission officially cancelled the event at Barclays Center due to the coronavirus pandemic.
(Featured Image Source: Instagram/ Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson)