Ferguson: I'm going to make Nurmagomedov quit

Tony Ferguson isn't impressed with Khabib Nurmagomedov's resume, nor his conditioning.

Speaking with Jay Onrait and Dan O'Toole of FOX Sports Live ahead of his interim lightweight title bout with "The Eagle" at UFC 209, Ferguson said his foe's skill set isn't nearly as pristine as his record.

"He has (a) 24-(fight) win streak but it's a padded record," Ferguson said, per the IB Times' Abhinav Kini. "I've seen it all the time. As far as conditioning goes, he's only got two rounds in him."

His track record may be chock full of stoppages, but "El Cucuy" boasts first-rate cardio, as evidenced in his five-round duel with former champ Rafael dos Anjos at UFC Fight Night 98 this past November. When he steps into the Octagon with Nurmagomedov on March 4, he aims to break the Russian's will with a pace only he is capable of maintaining.

"Basically, we're going to make him quit," Ferguson told FOX Sports' Andy Nesbitt. "We're going to put the pressure on this guy. He only prepares for two rounds, as far as his padded record goes.

"The strategy with Khabib is to beat him mentally. I've seen this guy quit and I've seen him cry in the sambo match. I'm going to do that same thing. I'm going to hit him in the stomach so hard, he's going to take a knee and he's going to ask for me to stop. But the only person who is going to stop (it) is (referee) Herb Dean or John McCarthy."