Khabib Nurmagomedov hits back at Tony Ferguson following 'El Cucuy's' reaction to "lucky punch" comments: "Leave this sport for the young fighters"

Khabib Nurmagomedov's war of words with Tony Ferguson has continued with a bizarre twist. 'The Eagle' took to X/Twitter to respond to his rival's irate reaction following Nurmagomedov's dismissal of his skills relative to his own on episode #9 of the Inspire Me Podcast on YouTube.

However, Nurmagomedov made the headscratching claim that he never mentioned Ferguson, instead accusing internet news outlets of fabricating a narrative, despite the podcast from which his alleged words were derived being available on YouTube.

The UFC Hall of Famer also penned his rebuttal in response to a tweet Ferguson had made in 2022.

"You know what's interesting, I didn't say anything about you, people just post whatever they want on the internet and write that it's Khabib. Enjoy your life and your family, leave this sport for the young fighters."

Hopefully the confusion will clear itself up in due time. Regardless, the rivalry between both men is unlikely to die down. They were scheduled to fight each other five times, but the matchup never came to fruition due to both men either injuring themselves or a global pandemic complicating matters even further.

Their legacies, which were once intertwined due to the pair having authored some of the longest win streaks in UFC lightweight history, have since gone down completely different paths. Nurmagomedov retired undefeated at 29-0, having matched the lightweight division's all-time title defense record.

Ferguson, meanwhile, has been on a downward spiral, losing eight consecutive fights in a row, making it the longest losing streak in the promotion's history. Despite his rough patch and descent into unranked obscurity, 'El Cucuy' refuses to retire.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov previously praised Tony Ferguson

After Tony Ferguson's eighth consecutive loss, he laid one glove on the mat, signaling that he may very well be retiring, especially with the UFC unwilling to offer him more matchups. In response to his longtime rival's pseudo-retirement, Khabib Nurmagomedov spoke glowingly of him.

"It's not a surprise for me, because he's 40 years old. I just want to wish him all the best. He is truly one of the best in the UFC. His life is just beginning because he's just 40 years old and just finished his MMA career. Now, it's going to be a different life, much better life."

Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's reaction to Tony Ferguson's last UFC fight:

Unfortunately, Ferguson hasn't always been one to be cordial with Nurmagomedov, who sparks a competitive fire in him like no one else. Thus, their verbal jousts appear eternal.