Why Ferguson Put His Interim Belt on the Floor
When Tony Ferguson placed his interim lightweight title belt on the floor during a 2020 face-off with Khabib Nurmagomedov, the gesture was widely read as a taunt. Years later, Ferguson offered a more practical explanation: he said he was using the belt to gauge the distance between them and picture how close he was to an ankle pick. That account came in a 2024 JAXXON Podcast interview.
What Ferguson said
In the interview, Ferguson described the belt as a way to measure the space between himself and Nurmagomedov. He said he was thinking about getting close enough to attempt an ankle pick. The explanation concerned his positioning during the face-off.
The fight that never happened
The face-off promoted a bout that was scheduled for April 18, 2020 but never took place. Nurmagomedov was unable to travel from Russia during the pandemic restrictions, and Justin Gaethje replaced him against Ferguson. On May 9, Gaethje stopped Ferguson by strikes at 3:39 of the fifth round to win the interim lightweight title, according to the official event results.
The embedded press-conference video above records the belt moment itself. It is separate from the later podcast interview in which Ferguson explained why he put the belt down.
