UFC: Khabib feels ‘fire burning inside again’ for Tony Ferguson fight
- Undefeated lightweight champion says he ‘lacked motivation’ for Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier fights
- ‘They’re not the same as Tony Ferguson,’ says the Russian
Khabib Nurmagomedov has said the “fire is burning inside me again” for his title defence against Tony Ferguson, after claiming he lacked motivation for his fights against Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.
The undefeated UFC lightweight champion will meet Ferguson on April 18 in Brooklyn with both men riding 12-fight streaks, in a highly anticipated match-up that has fallen apart four times since 2015.
Ferguson (25-3) has started the mind games early, saying he is in the Russian’s head amid a barrage of trash talk. But Khabib (28-0) spoke highly of his latest challenger.
“I will train hard,” he said. “With every fight, I gain more and more experience. I’m getting older, I’m 31. I think it’s the peak age of a fighter’s career.
“Of course, I will train more for this fight because I have a worthy opponent. He’s a very good and very dangerous opponent.”