- ‘T-City’ feels if anyone is going to beat the undefeated Russian, it’s ‘El Cucuy’
- ‘And if not, we’re gonna have to wait until I come up,’ adds Ortega, who urges Khabib not to retire too soon
Tony Ferguson is the only man that Brian Ortega thinks can beat UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Well, other than himself, of course.
The Russian and "El Cucuy" are both riding 12-fight win streaks in the UFC, with Ferguson seemingly next in line to get a crack at the undefeated 31-year-old.
"I feel if anyone's gonna beat him, it's gonna be Ferguson," Ortega told John Hyon Ko of Kumite TV. "And if not we're gonna have to wait until I come up."
Ortega was in Korea to promote his upcoming return to the Octagon against "The Korean Zombie" Jung Chan-sung at UFC Busan in December. And he thinks Ferguson has "high chances" against Khabib.
"Tony's an amazing athlete, a great jiu-jitsu guard player as well," he said. "But when I see things, there's just certain positions I feel I'm better at than certain people and vice versa.
"But positions Khabib is amazing at, I'm equally amazing from the bottom of the coin.
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"I feel like anyone who I wrap up is in danger, and the level of danger is extreme," Ortega added. "I've been doing this over 15 years going with top level grapplers in the entire world and finishing them and catching them. This is something that's in the future for sure."
Khabib (28-0) said earlier this week he could retire in two years' time, but Ortega hopes he hangs around a little longer.
"Hopefully Khabib doesn't retire, gimme some time to go in there and prove myself the way he did," Ortega said. "Let me become a champ and then I feel like I have the right to really call him out and have it be a lot more serious than just saying his name in interviews."
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