Tony Ferguson Targeting Fight With Khabib Or Conor McGregor Next
Tony Ferguson has no preference for who he should be facing next. However, he feels he should be calling the shots anyway.
Ferguson extended his impressive winning streak to 12 after the doctors called an end to his fight with Donald Cerrone following the second round at UFC 238 on Saturday night (June 8, 2019). Despite yet another win, it is not clear whether “El Cucuy” will get the winner of UFC 242’s main event between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier.
However, his shortlist seems to include the current lightweight champion in Nurmagomedov, or a money fight with Conor McGregor:
“I’ve got 12 (wins) in a row, I should be calling the shots,” Ferguson said in the post-fight press conference. “I’ve had the title already; everyone else needs an eval [evaluation].
“I don’t know what else I have to do in this division to keep after it. Like I said, it’s a round robin tournament, but I’m tired of it. I’m here to stay. I am the f*cking champ. …If Dustin Poirier don’t do it, I’m going to do it man. Tiramisu needs an a** whooping, he needs two to the stomach from me.”
“If it’s McNuggets for a money fight, he’s an athlete too. I know the division misses him. I’m pretty sure he misses the fight game too. We need to see these fighters keep coming out and represent the sport because that’s why you got into it.”
Tony Ferguson’s Predictions
Ferguson is ready to step in for either Nurmagomedov or Poirier should they get injured leading up to UFC 242. However, should the fight go through, he sees Nurmagomedov emerging victorious:
“I see Dustin, he plays a lot against the ropes, he does a lot of boxing, he’s got good boxing,” Ferguson added. “But the kid needs to get his back off the ropes. At my academy, I have a full 20 by 20 canvas, but I don’t have any ropes around it. And I do that for a reason so I don’t get my back against the ropes.
“Once you get your back against the cage and you start doing that, Khabib’s going to put that pressure, take you down, double-leg you, he’s going to mount you like that dummy, he’s going to play smash and grab. That’s how I see that playing out. If I were to fight Khabib, I guaran-damn-tee you I would throw him from his feet to his back and beat him like in Sambo like a five-point move in wrestling. That’s my background.
As far as even McNuggets goes, I would love to stand toe to toe and go with that dude. I respect him as an athlete. As a person, he’s kind of a douche. … I have a different agency now, there’s no conflict of interest. I’m here to kick some a**. I ran out of bubble gum but we’re here to do business.“
