Tony Ferguson ‘Cool’ With Dana White, But Asks Why He Gets Treated Like ‘Sh*t’
Former interim UFC lightweight champion, Tony ‘El Cucuy’ Ferguson has insisted his relationship with promotional president, Dana White is harmonious – but has questioned why he’s been treated like “sh*t” by the long time leader.
The Oxnard native has reportedly been involved in some unfruitful contract negotiations with the promotion recently – with a tentatively targeted pairing with former three-time Bellator lightweight champion, Michael Chandler failing to come to fruition yet.
Ferguson was also targeted to feature at UFC 254 this weekend in Abu Dhabi – opposite fellow former interim champion, Dustin Poirier with that bout also failing to take place, with the latter this time failing to agree on terms with the organization.
Recently detailing plans for a December return to the Octagon, and even noting his willingness to take on the aforenoted, Chandler if that’s a fight the UFC would be interested in making, Ferguson commented on his relationship with White, asking why he’s been disrespected by the promotion and why in particular, White treats him like “sh*t“”.
“I’m not going to bullsh*t anymore,” Ferguson told MMA Junkie’s, Mike Bohn. “Dana (White) is cool. Me and Dana are chill. But when it comes down to it, I want to be paid what I’m worth, and my value has increased. I put out there a lot of energy, I don’t have to talk about it. I don’t have to talk about my contracts and say sh*t about it, because everybody else does that. I’m past that. I’ve been in this organization for ten-plus years.“
“I’m not even asking anything. Check that sh*t out. Everybody is like ‘Hey, you’re asking this, there’s problems here’. There’s no fu*king problems. Everybody tries to put words in my mouth. I have zero problems with anybody. I have zero sh*t. I’ll call Dana, bro, and I’ll be real. I’m the only guy that will call his voicemail. I’m not proud of that, but that’s where I’m at in my thinking and my thoughts.“
“I said we weren’t friends. I never said we were friends, but we are in business and we are a club. Dana knows how clutch I am from The Ultimate Fighter. I had that fu*king tryout and I won. I’ve completely changed my fu*king thought process. I’m not the same fu*king fighter.“
Ferguson then touched on the subject of potential opponent, Chandler who is serving as a backup for this weekend’s lightweight title unification clash between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje – asking why he’s been inserted into title contention from the get-go.
“(Michael) Chandler? Think about this: How many times are you going to put another fu*king person in the fu*king shuffle of the cards? Dana keeps shuffling me down the list. What? Because I’m fu*king Mexican? What’s up Dana, you don’t like Mexicans? You don’t like brown people? I’m not going to call you a racist, but what the fu*k, man? What’d I do to you? Why do you treat me like sh*t? My last name is Ferguson. I don’t want to get mad anymore. I don’t. I’m not going to. But that being said, I said my piece. I’m too busy working.“
