The Bottom Line: No Gimmickry Necessary

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

* * *
Khabib Nurmagomedov-Tony Ferguson is a real contradiction of a fight, as the two contenders will meet for the newly created Ultimate Fighting Championship interim lightweight title in the UFC 209 co-main event on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. On the one hand, it’s a bout for a championship that has no reason for being. Conor McGregor is fully healthy and hasn’t yet defended his undisputed lightweight crown; it’s worth noting that he ended up never defending his featherweight belt, so his lightweight challengers may be left waiting. Both Nurmagomedov and Ferguson are worthy of title shots already, but it makes sense for them to compete to be crowned No. 1 contender. Instead, they’re fighting for another phantom interim title. Still, if ever there was a fight that made you overlook additional title gimmickry, it’s this one.

Nurmagomedov-Ferguson for the interim lightweight title is more compelling than most legitimate UFC championship bouts, including the UFC 209 headliner between Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson. It features two fighters of the highest caliber entering the bout on long winning streaks and offers up a juicy clash of styles. It’s not going to sell pay-per-views for casual fight fans, but it’s exactly the sort of upper-echelon showdown that keeps hardcore fans as thoroughly invested in the sport as they are (current odds).

There are divisions in today’s UFC where getting a title shot isn’t all that impressive of an accomplishment. Lack of depth is usually the culprit, leaving UFC matchmakers scrambling if the champion defeats the top few challengers. That is certainly not the case in the deep lightweight division, where excellent fighters can struggle for years just to break into the top 10. Making it to the top shelf in the lightweight division is a feat in and of itself. To excel for years like Nurmagomedov and Ferguson have done is all the more impressive.

Nurmagomedov comes into the fight with eight consecutive UFC wins. Ferguson’s streak is even more impressive; he has won nine straight. There is no other fight in UFC history where both fighters went into the cage with eight or more UFC wins in a row. That’s remarkable enough. The fact that it is happening in the lightweight division, where the competition is so stiff, is all the more striking. That’s precisely where you wouldn’t expect such long winning streaks to collide.

MMA fans are used to UFC championships representing the top fighter in each weight class. Interim titles have occasionally been used when the undisputed champion is unable to compete. By that standard, Nurmagomedov-Ferguson doesn’t feel like a real title fight. However, in boxing and in smaller MMA organizations, titles often don’t rise to the level of representing the best in a given weight class. Rather, they’re simply props to highlight a battle between two high-quality opponents. By that standard, Nurmagomedov-Ferguson is as real of a title fight as it gets. It would be one of the most prestigious WBO or WBC title fights of the year.

This isn’t a great fight simply because of the skill of the two fighters; it’s also the way that they match up. On one side, you’ve got Nurmagomedov, a suffocating grappler who has built an undefeated record by outmuscling and controlling foes. On the other side, you’ve got Ferguson, a thrilling action fighter who has won a “Performance of the Night” or “Fight of the Night” bonus in every contest he has been in since 2014. It’s been years since we’ve seen anyone tame the violent output of Ferguson, and no one has ever been able to shut down Nurmagomedov’s game. Something’s got to give.

The stakes for the fight are high, as well. It’s not just the interim title but the opportunity to potentially secure a red-panty night against McGregor. No other opponent in the sport offers that sort of life-changing money. Nurmagomedov and Ferguson are fortunate to be in the right division at the right time. UFC President Dana White has said the winner of the fight will be McGregor’s next opponent, and that is the fight that makes the most sense. Nurmagomedov in particular has the potential to really sell that fight.

Nurmagomedov is a savvy marketer and gained a lot of attention by calling out McGregor at UFC 205 and then selling the idea that the champion is ducking him in the media. An impressive performance at UFC 209 combined with another forceful callout could create a real public demand for that fight. Ferguson isn’t the self-marketer that Nurmagomedov is but he, too, would be a natural opponent for McGregor with a win and would offer up an entertaining style matchup like Eddie Alvarez before.

With so many intriguing angles, Nurmagomedov-Ferguson is a terrific matchup -- MMA’s best of 2017 thus far. No other fight has pitted two fighters of this quality against one another with all the associated stakes. Ultimately, it’s more than enough to overlook some additional UFC interim title silliness. Gimmicks are gimmicks, but great fights are still great fights.