Tony Ferguson answers questions from the media at a press conference in 2018.
Tony Ferguson on the UFC stripping him of the interim title: “How do you think I f**king feel?”
This Saturday night, UFC 229 will not only mark the the long awaited return of former UFC double champion Conor McGregor, but it will also see the return of another former UFC lightweight champion in Tony Ferguson.
As it’s been well-known, Ferguson has been out of UFC action for quite sometime due to suffering a severe knee injury prior to what was suppose to be his originally scheduled title defense against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223.
But now here we are five months after the injury, as Ferguson prepares to make his comeback to the octagon against fellow former 155-pound champion Anthony Pettis.
“It’s been five months since my injury,” Ferguson said Tuesday at a media day at the UFC Performance Institute. “It took a long f*cking time for me to be here. They took my belt, they took a bunch of zeroes from my pay check. How do you think I f*cking feel? It’s all fun and games, right?”
Ferguson won the interim belt by defeating Kevin Lee at UFC 216 via submission.
With that victory, it boosted Ferguson’s winning streak to 10 straight, seven of those by finish.
“El Cucuy” still believes in his mind he is not only still the rightful UFC 155 pound interim champion, but the undisputed champion as well.
“I’m the f*cking champ,” Ferguson said. “See this gold right here. I didn’t lose my belt. They took it from me. The one thing they didn’t take is my smile. So after my surgery, I made a conscious decision to not want anybody else’s help that didn’t want to help me. So yeah, I’ve got a little chip on my shoulder. It’s still there. It f*cking weighs a lot. But in this whole entire process, I gained so much more than you guys would ever imagine.”
Overall, Ferguson feels he’s the best lightweight in the world and feels he’s got the resume to prove it.
Ferguson expressed he’s not been a fan of the main event build of McGregor and Nurmagomedov, even going as far to refer to the Irish superstar as a terrorist throwing a dolly, recalling the not so memorable incident that transpired back in April.
He then added that he’s hoping that neither man will emerge victorious after this Saturday night’s UFC 229.
“Double knockout,” Ferguson said. “I’m gonna keep saying it this whole entire time. I hope these bitches knock each other out. They took enough shit, f*ck it. I hope they deal with what they gotta deal with and squash this shit. This is a man’s sport. We’re trying to clean this shit up, yet you got these two knuckleheads going out there and making an ass out of themselves. So, whatever. You want me to cut a promo? You’re talking to the wrong guy. Talk to these guys.”
If Ferguson is able to take out Pettis Saturday, he insisted he’ll be the next contender for the UFC lightweight title regardless of who wins between McGregor and Nurmagomedov, while also stating he’s always ready and willing to step in as a last minute replacement should something go wrong with one of the two fighter’s before UFC 229.
“It’s in my contract,” Ferguson said. “So all these mother fuckers out there on TMZ saying they’re next. Nah, I’m next. But I’m the first. And I’m the last, too.”
