Chael Sonnen thinks Tony Ferguson could be Khabib Nurmagomedov’s toughest test to date and says the winner could legitimately lay claim to being the greatest lightweight in UFC history.
Speaking to RT Sport, ESPN analyst Sonnen offered his take on the upcoming fight between UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) and former interim champion Ferguson (25-3 MMA, 15-1 UFC) at UFC 249 on Apr. 18.
“You know, it’s very hard to pick against Khabib with what you’ve seen and I must also share with you I have a bias towards Tony because we are former teammates,” said Sonnen, before revealing: “I do really like Tony’s chances going into this, and I like them more and more as the fight gets closer.”
Ferguson, like Nurmagomedov, is on a 12-fight win streak in the UFC. His wild and unpredictable style has led to 20 career finishes, including a hat-trick of finishes in his last three outings against Kevin Lee, former lightweight champ Anthony Pettis, and Donald Cerrone.
Undefeated Nurmagomedov has mauled everyone put in front of him, including back-to-back submissions over former two-division king Conor McGregor and former interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier.
And, considering both men’s resumes, Sonnen says the fight is particularly tricky to call.
“When you’re 28-0 in any division, man, you claim that division,” he said. “Particularly when you are the world champion and he already got some heavy lifting out of the way on the way to the title. If you go back and look at the names that he beat – 10-8 rounds against guys, two or three 10-8 rounds against (Edson) Barboza, just by example – this guy is a hammer. But you are talking about Tony Ferguson – that’s a whole other animal.”
“He’ll attack you from the back, he’ll attack you on the walkout, you don’t know what Tony Ferguson would do. I would never count him out. Whoever wins that fight is the best ever.”