Tony Ferguson Claims Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Perfect Record Would Look Different If They Met

Ferguson’s implication is exactly what it looks like: that the 29-0 would have a different number next to it if the two of them had ever shared a cage. Every time the matchup appeared to be finally happening, something intervened.

The history behind that claim is one of combat sports’ most genuinely painful what-if stories. Five scheduled fights. Five cancellations. Injuries, illnesses, weight issues, and circumstances seemed almost cosmically designed to keep these two men apart across five years of attempts. However, they still take shots at each other.

Two Years Ago, Khabib Nurmagomedov Revealed How Tony Ferguson Could Beat Him

Nurmagomedov’s response to the Ferguson what-if conversation was as direct and unambiguous as everything else he has ever said publicly about his career. His framing was not arrogance for the sake of a soundbite; it was a man walking through the logic of his own game honestly. 

“ The only chance he [Ferguson] had to stop me was with a lucky punch, like with everybody. Like with Conor, (Dustin) Poirier, with Justin Gaethje. Everybody talks about like, ‘They can stop him if Khabib is gonna get lucky punch,’ but other stuff, how were they gonna stop me? ” said Nurmagomedov in August 2024 when Ferguson made a similar statement.

He acknowledged the lucky punch variable exists for every fighter he ever faced, citing Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje as examples of opponents who carried that same theoretical threat.

Ferguson can post CSO 29-1 as many times as he wants. Khabib has already told everyone exactly how he sees the outcome, and the record, sitting permanently untouched, gives him all the ground he needs to stand on.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​