Khabib Nurmagomedov offers to pay Tony Ferguson to fight him

By Damon Martin
Published

Khabib Nurmagomedov is willing to put his own money on the line to make a fight with Tony Ferguson go from fantasy to reality.

The No. 1 ranked lightweight took to Twitter on Monday to offer up $200,000 paid directly to Ferguson so he would accept the proposed matchup between the two of them.

https://twitter.com/TeamKhabib/status/815966148327936003

UFC president Dana White had stated last week that the proposed fight between Nurmagomedov and Ferguson was off after the No. 2 ranked challenger demanded equal pay to his opponent before signing the bout agreement.

White argued that Ferguson had just recently signed a new contract with the UFC and that he wanted the former "Ultimate Fighter" winner to honor his deal rather than trying to negotiate a new one.




“So we were trying to make that fight — Tony said he will not do that fight unless he makes the same exact money that Khabib makes. Khabib has a different deal. That ain’t happening. Count that out,” White said.

“He has a contract that he just signed. Not long ago. There’s a thing where these guys, I honor every contract no matter what it is. I get into some (expletive) deals, too. You’ve got a guy who’s making tons of money but he was a champion, but that was the deal I cut. I cut that deal and I signed it and I’ve got to live with my deal.”

Now it appears Nurmagomedov is willing to foot the bill to pay Ferguson the difference between what he's scheduled to make and what he actually wants so the fight can come to fruition.

Nurmagomedov is already irritated after White also said that the Russian lightweight turned down a fight with current featherweight champion Jose Aldo after the bout with Ferguson fell apart.

"This message to UFC — it is clear to everyone that you hiding Conor from me. But stop lying to your fans like I don't want fight with Aldo, I'm ready to fight with anyone in my division," Nurmagomedov wrote on Instagram. "Give me relevant fight, so you won't be able to hide the belt from me after. But not the fight, where people say after my victory: he is too small, Khabib too big for him etc.

"I'm asking you for match that whole world is waiting for, give me Tony. You have never matched up two guys with 9 and 8 win streak in UFC, never in UFC history!"

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOnVl_aj2Y1/

According to Nurmagomedov, he's more than willing to fight anybody but doesn’t want to hear about how he beat up a smaller fighter if he goes out and destroys Aldo, who is a natural 145-pounder.

Ferguson hasn't responded yet to Nurmagomedov's offer but it's clear the undefeated Russian desperately wants this fight to happen soone rather than later.