VIDEO | Khabib Nurmagomedov kicks Tony Ferguson’s belt in heated face-off

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson do not like each other to say the least.

At the UFC 249 pre-fight press conference on Friday, Nurmagomedov and Ferguson went back-and-forth trash-talking one another. The two were seemingly reaching their boiling point when UFC president Dana White took the last question and squared them off.

When they squared off, Ferguson had his interim lightweight title around his shoulder which Nurmagomedov took exception to. “El Cucuy” then put it on the ground and could be heard saying ‘your belt vs. mine’ as the two continued their trash-talk. Then, as Ferguson continued to talk at the undefeated Dagestani lightweight champion, Nurmagomedov kicked the interim belt nearly off stage.

Immediately, Ferguson took exception to it and Dana White and security forced them to be separated. The entire face-off was heated and something that excites fans even more for this fight.

https://twitter.com/ufc/status/1236074478385364992

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson has been booked four times in the past with both pulling out two times each due to injuries or failed weight cuts. But, at UFC 249, this may be the biggest the fight has gotten and it is surely one of the most anticipated scraps in recent memory.

Nurmagomedov is entering this bout with a staggering 28-0 record including being 12-0 inside the Octagon with two title defenses. The Dagestani champion last fought back at UFC 242 where he submitted Dustin Poirier, and before that, he submitted Conor McGregor in their highly-anticipated bout.

Tony Ferguson, meanwhile, is riding a 12-fight winning streak and coming off a TKO win over Donald Cerrone at UFC 238. Before that, he beat Anthony Pettis by corner stoppage. He won the interim strap back in 2017 with a submission win over Kevin Lee.

What do you make of Khabib Nurmagomedov kicking Tony Ferguson’s belt in their heated face-off? Sound off in the comment section, PENN Nation!

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 3/6/2020.