A press conference was held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in anticipation of the UFC 248 tournament, which all fans of mixed martial arts were looking forward to: two strongest lightweight categories - the current holder of the belt Khabib Nurmagomedov and the first number of the rating Tony Ferguson.

Future rivals appeared in front of a crowded room in typical images. A confident American climbed onto the platform without taking off his sunglasses and carrying a baseball in one hand, and in the other - the belt of the UFC interim champion, won by him in a duel with Kevin Lee. The face of the Russian expressed calm. He reservedly greeted the audience and the head of the promotion, Dana White, and joined the opponent.

The first question of journalists traditionally concerned the training of fighters and the mood for one of the most important fights in their career. Ferguson expressed confidence that he will be able to win, and called the meeting itself sparring.

“Around this fight is a real hype ... This will be my first sparring in a long time, I need a sparring partner. This is what I will do on April 18th. Habib, you better not withdraw from this fight, it’s time to fight, ”Ferguson addressed the Russian.

In response, Nurmagomedov once again noted the significance of the battle for his legacy. At the moment, he has 28 victories with zero defeats, and a meeting with the American will be his third title defense.

“Tony deserved this fight. He is a great fighter, one of the best in the world. But I do not like him as a person, because he is stupid ... Let's see what happens on April 18. I like challenges: Conor, Porrier - all my fights. But if I want to forever consolidate my heritage in this division, I must defeat Ferguson, ”Habib emphasized.

Ferguson also shared his attitude towards the opponent. It is known that between them there is not such a sharp confrontation outside the octagon as there was between Nurmagomedov and McGregor, however, both periodically exchange barbs against each other.

“There is nothing personal between us, there is even respect, I don’t want to pour mud on him. But I'm Californian and love hype. Therefore, I will say that I will win, ”the American said.

In a similar vein, Nurmagomedov spoke about their opposition.

“You can’t be too emotional. When you go to the cage, you need to focus on victory in order to smear the opponent. I like it when I tire my opponent, make him give up. Tony is a very strong guy, better than many with whom I fought. He could be the best lightweight of all time, but he’s too old ... People will still say that he is old when I smear him in the octagon, ”said Habib.

Many were interested in how the current owner of the belt sees the continuation of his career. In particular, one of the possible rivals could be Floyd Mayweather, a former world boxing champion in five weight categories. A few days ago, he announced that he could meet with Nurmagomedov if his fee was $ 600 million.

“Who will give him so much money? I'm not sure. As I said before, I can fight him for 11 rounds according to the rules of boxing and one according to the rules of MMA ... Both Floyd and I are serious names in the world of sports, we can make the cashier, but my conditions remain the same, ”Nurmagomedov emphasized .

In response, Ferguson expressed doubt that his opponent had the right skills to enter the ring, and offered his candidacy for this fight. For clarity, he stood up with the words "I'm the one you need ... I'm the killer."

Gradually, the atmosphere in the arena grew tense, and it became increasingly difficult for the media to get concrete answers from the fighters, since each statement ended with provocations. So, the Russian accused the American of lying when he said that in the preparation process he does not take into account the skills of a future rival. In turn, Tony repeatedly pointed out that Nurmagomedov never had serious fights.

“Habib never participated in street fights, he fought only with those who can be considered amateurs, schoolchildren. I will show him the street style, show him the Mexican style. I’m putting my sombrero against your father, ”Tony said.

Such statements have in earnest enraged Nurmagomedov. On emotions, he recalled that Ferguson is a native of the United States.

“You are an American and do not know how to fight on the street. When was the last time you did it yourself? You don’t even know where I come from ... If we meet on the street, I will break you. Why are you talking about Mexico? You are not Mexican, you are American! Tell people the truth, you're from California. Your name and surname are not Mexican, ”Nurmagomedov retorted.

Of course, Tony could not like the transition to personalities, and he promised to deal with the Russian in the octagon with one blow. Towards the end, it became difficult for White to control what was happening, and the press conference ended.

However, the bickering continued during the duel of views and threatened to develop into a brawl. The rivals stood opposite each other, while Ferguson laid his belt of the interim champion on the platform. A verbal skirmish ensued, and Nurmagomedov kicked the trophy with his foot. The organizers did not manage to calm the heated athletes, and they left the hall accompanied by their teams.

Years in the making 🏆🕶 # UFC249pic.twitter.com / bAiUhhNTua

- UFC (@ufc) March 7, 2020

The fight between Nurmagomedov and Ferguson will take place on April 18 as part of the UFC 249 tournament in New York. The last time a Russian entered the octagon on September 7, 2019 and defeated Dustin Porrier. The American in June got the better of his compatriot Donald Cerrone.