UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has labelled rival Tony Ferguson ‘finished’ after the American’s defeat to Justin Gaethje back in May.

Khabib was due to face Ferguson before the coronavirus pandemic struck.

Gaethje proceeded to step in for the Russian and went on to stop Ferguson in the final round at UFC 249.

And Khabib believes the 36 year-old will not be able to come back from such a devastating defeat.

"Nobody can be the same for a long time - one day, somebody is going to beat you, something is going to happen," he told ESPN.

"God doesn't give nobody the power, reaction, mental, one level, always. One day you're going to go down and his day come. It was May. Tony Ferguson is finished now.

"He's going to come back, and someone is going to beat him again, I believe.

"Because when you take damage like this, you're never going to be the same. Never. Even if you're Tony Ferguson."

Khabib will make his return to the octagon for the first time in more than a year when he takes on Gaethje at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on October 24.

The 32 year-old is undefeated in all 28 of his professional MMA bouts and is widely regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport.

Meanwhile, Gaethje’s only defeats came against Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier as he has put together a run of four successive wins since.