Tony Ferguson was in rare form at yesterday’s UFC 262 press conference, and he held nothing back from his lightweight peers, whether a current opponent, booked in another fight, or even retired.
In reverse order of proximity, let’s begin with Ferguson taking aim at the distant Khabib Nurmagomedov. The frequent misses of the Khabib/Ferguson feud that resulted in an unactualized rivalry are very well documented, leaving a large heft in the hearts of millions of MMA fans. Despite the five miscues attached to the legacy of “Khabib vs. Ferguson” and the fact that the absent Nurmagomedov has removed himself as a target, El Cucuy is still taking more shots at his retired nemesis (via MMA Junkie).
“He’s a f*cking b*tch, he’s a f*cking p*ssy,” Ferguson said about Nurmagomedov violently. “Sorry to interrupt you, but I’m dedicating this song “Mask Off” – chase the check, never chase a b*tch. That’s Khabib.”
The concept of “chasing” led Ferguson to segue to the man who will serve as one half of the UFC 262 main event, Michael Chandler. Many people have argued that Chandler is undeserving of a world title shot after one UFC victory over an opponent who was ranked #6 at the time of the fight (Dan Hooker). Suffice it to say, El Cucuy is one of those people.
“You f*cking dodged me too, Chandler,” Ferguson said. “You’re a b*tch. You said no, man. You got this sh*t handed to you. You got Dana White privilege.”
After a loud reaction to this biting Fergusonism, the former interim UFC lightweight champion then continued his tirade seemingly aimed at the entire system that he believes has held him down.
“Check this sh*t out: Dana was right. Timing is everything. It wasn’t meant for me to have the title,” Ferguson said. “I would’ve given everybody the chance. These guys are going to try to keep the title away as much as they can. I’m Mexican. It doesn’t matter if you colored up here or not, but I’m made with Native American parts, too. Let’s go.”
Of course, the verbose and quite fired up Tony Ferguson would have been remiss if he left out his opponent this Saturday, Beneil Dariush. The soft-spoken, polite veteran was not spared from El Cucuy’s wrath in the least bit.
“Hey, homie, I already know that you went to help Justin Gaethje,” Ferguson said to Dariush. “You’re a little b*tch for going out there and helping him fight for the title. I didn’t know you did that. You listened to (your manager) Ali Abdelaziz, and he f*cking manipulated your ass. … Look, I have nothing against you. But seriously, my punches are going to f*cking starch your ass. I’m going to knock you out.”
If there is any one thing to take away from Ferguson’s verbal massacre, it’s that fans should expect this man to enter the Octagon on Saturday with every intention of letting all this rage out of his system physically after leaving bodies in his wake vocally.
What are your thoughts on Tony Ferguson’s verbal killing spree at the UFC 262 press conference?
