UFC 209 Aftermath: Tony Ferguson’s UFC Future Uncertain Following Third Cancelled Fight With Khabib Nurmagomedov, Eyes Conor McGregor Next

UFC 209 was supposed to chalk a definitive outlook for the future of the UFC lightweight division. But with the highly anticipated fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson having been scrapped for the third time, MMA fans are left with more questions than answers as both Ferguson and Conor McGregor will presumably be more hesitant than ever to sign the dotted line against Nurmagomedov.

After initially sending out a supportive tweet to Khabib Nurmagomedov following news of his hospitalization, Tony Ferguson changed his tone on Monday’s edition of the “MMA Hour,” as reported by MMA Fighting. “It was very disrespectful and very unprofessional what his camp did, especially after all that was said leading up to the fight,” Ferguson said. For the meanwhile, “El Cucuy” appears to have his sights set on Conor McGregor, as Saturday was the second time in three scheduled fights that Nurmagomedov had to pull out of a fight against Ferguson.

@thenotoriousmma You're Next!!! #ElCucuy #TonyFergusonMMA #FutureChamp #Road2Gold @ufc @danawhite

A post shared by @TonyFergusonxt (@tonyfergusonxt) on Mar 4, 2017 at 9:26pm PST

“I would love to fight Khabib [Nurmagomedov], but there’s no guarantee he’s going to show up and make the weight,” Tony Ferguson added, pointing out in disgust how Nurmagomedov was eating tiramisu on an episode of “Embedded.” Previously, Conor McGregor has also expressed skepticism on the prospect of fighting the Dagestan native, saying that Nurmagomedov was not active enough for his liking. Khabib Nurmagomedov has since issued a statement, taking to Instagram to address Tony Ferguson and the fans. As reported by MMA Junkie, Nurmagomedov wrote that “you’ll get only what God prescribed for you,” while also apologizing to Ferguson and ensuring everyone that his health is fine.

Чтобы ты не делал или кем бы ты не был, ты получишь то, что Всевышний предписал тебе. Альхамдулиллах за все что мне Всевышний дал за эти 28 лет, я даже получил то, что и не просил Его. Я знаю много людей ждали этот бой и я всех подвёл. На счёт сорванного боя хочу извинится перед моими болельщиками, UFC и перед моим соперником. С моим здоровьем все хорошо Альхамдулиллах, бывало и хуже, но каждый раз эти испытания меня делали только сильнее. Спасибо Всем за поддержку. Whoever you are or whatever you do, you'll get only what God prescribed for you. AlhamduliLlah for everything God gifted me for my 28 years, I got much more than I asked. I know that many people was waiting for this fight and I fail them. Want to bring my apologies for all my fans, UFC and my opponent Tony. My health is fine now, thanks God. These tough testing only makes me stronger. Thank everyone for the support. #Alhamdulillah A post shared by Khabib Nurmagomedov (@khabib_nurmagomedov) on Mar 5, 2017 at 4:29pm PST

This is a tricky spot for Tony Ferguson as Conor McGregor is still on a hiatus from the UFC, awaiting the birth of his first child. It makes no sense for him to take on a contender ranked lower than Khabib Nurmagomedov, which would suggest he would be out of action until McGregor returns to the UFC.