2016 has been one of the most newsworthy years in the history of MMA. From the sale of the UFC to the rise of Conor McGregor to the impact of USADA testing to the returns of Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey the MMA media space has been inundated with huge stories. And while it doesn’t occupy the same magnitude of importance as those other stories, 2016 has also played host to never ending saga of lightweight contenders Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson.
Nurmagomedov and Ferguson have been not-so-quietly circling each other since the end of last year and after Ferguson’s win over Rafael dos Anjos and Nurmagomedov’s demolition over Michael Johnson at UFC 205 all signs seemed to indicate that the pair would finally meet early next year, likely for an interim lightweight championship while current champion Conor McGregor is taking a brief personal break.