Conor McGregor favors Khabib Nurmagomedov over Tony Ferguson in potential fight

Conor McGregor wasn’t able to solve the Khabib Nurmagomedov puzzle, and he doesn’t believe Tony Ferguson would, either.

Speaking at a sponsor’s event Tuesday in Kyiv, Ukraine, McGregor broke down how he sees a potential title fight between lightweight champion Nurmagomedov and Ferguson playing out, giving the edge to “The Eagle.”

“It will be an interesting one. I think Khabib would probably beat him,” McGregor said. “Again, you’ve got to see what the circumstances are. Anyone can win on any given day. Tony is a formidable fighter also, you know. 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 favor Khabib in that bout.”

McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) last fought in October 2018 at UFC 229 where he lost by fourth-round submission to Nurmagomedov. McGregor has been open about his desire for a rematch and proceeded to explain how things would go differently if he gets a second chance.

“We overestimated his grappling severely, and we also underestimated his striking, so there are things that we will correct,” McGregor said. “I will go on the offensive from a grappling standpoint. I believe I was winning the clinch exchanges in Round 3 in the bout, but it was a little too late. A little too little too late in the bout and also my lack of commitment, and I wasn’t as fully committed as I should be, carrying injuries and what not, so there’s many many things we can improve and sharpen up when the rematch happens.”

With no targeted date for return, McGregor has thrown numerous names out there for his potential next opponent. But clearly Nurmagomedov remains at the top of that list.