Khabib Nurmagomedov will defend his UFC lightweight title against the interim champion Dustin Poirier, at UFC 242. The unification bout is set to be the main event.

And if it was up to Khabib, the co-main event would see Tony Ferguson vs Justin Gaethje, in a title eliminator contest. As the 155lbs champion told ESPN (as transcribed by MMA News)

“Tony vs Gaethje, this is interesting fight. If he don’t want to wait to end of the year, why not? UFC can make Gaethje vs Tony, co-main event in Abu Dhabi. It’s gonna be a good fight, good for pay per view, I think. It’s just my opinion. But if he want to wait, he deserves this.  

“Co-main event, Justin vs Tony, main event, me vs Dustin, winner fights winner end of the year,”

There’s no argument that Ferguson deserves the next shot at the lightweight title. Not only is ‘El Cucuy’ on a twelve fight winning streak, all but three of those wins have come by way of a finish. And almost all of them, a bloody finish.

If Ferguson doesn’t want to wait until the end of the year to fight for the title, there are two fights that make sense for the 35 year old, Gaethje and Conor McGregor. And either one of those would make an incredible co-main event at UFC 242.

Whether McGregor would take a fight that isn’t Khabib and a co-main event, we don’t know. And whether the UFC would risk putting McGregor and Khabib on the same card, we don’t know. But Ferguson vs Gaethje or McGregor, with the winner facing the winner of Khabib and Poirier, would be huge.

UFC 242 goes down on September 7th, at the du Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Would you like to see Tony Ferguson fight Justin Gaethje or Conor McGregor at UFC 242?

See also:

Another Boxing World Champion Challenges Conor McGregor