Tony Ferguson’s 2017 campaign began with a major disappointment when his interim lightweight title clash with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 209 was canceled a day before the fight.
The highly-anticipated bout was scrapped when Nurmagomedov was declared medically unfit to compete after a difficult weight cut. While there were more than a few fighters willing to take the Dagestan native’s place, Ferguson ultimately elected to sit on the sidelines along with his original opponent. “The Ultimate Fighter 13” winner admitted that losing the opportunity to fight Nurmagomedov was a difficult pill to swallow.