Ali Abdel-Aziz is the manager of Nurmagomedov and he claims that Ferguson may never compete again after UFC 223.
“I feel sorry for Tony Ferguson, because on April 7, Tony Ferguson is probably never gonna fight again,” Abel-Aziz said on The MMA Hour. “I’m concerned for his well-being, I’m serious. I’m not just saying that to promote a fight. I’m concerned for him. I’m hearing some reports — and I respect Eddie Bravo, he’s a legend — I’m hearing that he’d accept, he’d be more than happy for Khabib to take him down. And I’ll tell you something … he’s not gonna be a normal human being. He’ll be in trouble. Because if he accepts takedown from Khabib and he will take him down, he will disfigure his whole entire face.”
Nurmagomedov and Ferguson were supposed to clash three times before in the UFC, but injuries and other mishaps kept the two from battling.
The manager of Nurmagomedov even claims that Ferguson is being played by everybody around him.
“Tony Ferguson is getting played left and right,” Abdel-Aziz said. “I kind of feel bad for Tony Ferguson. Tony Ferguson is getting played. He is — by every body. By the UFC, by his team, by every body. He’s getting played.”
UFC 223 takes place on Saturday, April 7 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada with Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
