Khabib Nurmagomedov won't speculate on Tony Ferguson's mental health before UFC 249

LAS VEGAS – Khabib Nurmagomedov won’t get sucked into the narrative about Tony Ferguson’s state of mind as time winds down to one of the biggest fights in UFC history.

Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC), the UFC lightweight champion, was just a few feet from Ferguson (25-3 MMA, 15-1 UFC) on Friday as they participated in a news conference to promote UFC 249, which takes place April 18 and sees the pair clash for the title in the pay-per-view main event.

Although Ferguson is unique when it comes to everything from his personality to his preparation to his in-cage fighting style, some of his behaviors of late have been unusual even by his standards, especially the March 2019 reports of his family expressing concern for his well being. Ferguson shut down a question about his mental health at the news conference, and Nurmagomedov on Saturday was asked for his perspective.

This will be Khabib's most dangerous fight to date if they both make it without pulling out again.