Khabib Nurmagomedov had nothing but kind words to share about former rival Tony Ferguson after watching him compete for possibly the final time in the UFC.

At UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Ferguson suffered an eighth straight loss after falling to Michael Chiesa by submission in the first round, almost certainly spelling the end of his run with the promotion. Afterward, Ferguson hinted at retirement, but he ultimately only left one glove in the cage, noting that he’s holding onto the other “just in case.”

If that ends up being Ferguson’s final UFC appearance, Nurmagomedov offered him some encouragement that while fighting may be over, he still has plenty of time left ahead of him to accomplish so much more.

“It’s not a surprise for me because he’s 40 years old,” Nurmagomedov said of Ferguson after his fight. “I just want to wish him all the best. He’s truly one of the best who ever was doing it in the UFC. I just want to wish him all the best.

“His life is just beginning, because he’s just 40 years old and he just finished his MMA career. Now it’s going to be a different life, a much better life.”

Prior to Nurmagomedov’s retirement, many believed that Ferguson could have been the ex-champ’s greatest challenge after they were matched up several times over the years.

Sadly, a multitude of circumstances prevented them from ever actually fighting, and their rivalry likely stands as the greatest ‘what if’ on both men’s résumés.

While it was disappointing that they never fought, Nurmagomedov recognized Ferguson’s talent, but unfortunately that matchup just wasn’t meant to be.

“Of course, in my prime and his prime, it’s supposed to be a very interesting fight,” Nurmagomedov said. “But what can I do? He had a couple of injuries, I had a couple of injuries. It is what it is.

“Sometimes we have plans, but God has his plan and we cannot control this.”