Ferguson sounds off on Diaz's inactivity: 'I'm giving you a chance'
Tony Ferguson is growing tired of seeing his callouts go for naught.
"El Cucuy" has been angling for an interim lightweight title bout opposite Nate Diaz since seeing his first shot at UFC gold fall through last month, but the Stockton scrapper appears dead set on waiting for a lucrative rubber match with Conor McGregor. Speaking with ESPN's Brett Okamoto on "5ive Rounds" on Wednesday, Ferguson said Diaz should be more concerned with chasing a title and improving his ranking than holding out for another blockbuster bout with McGregor.
"He's all on McGregor's (expletive). He's like a (expletive) bad ex-girlfriend," Ferguson said. "A bad taste in somebody's mouth, if (expletive) you win, you lose, you gotta move on, dude. If you really want that money fight, then you're probably hurting for money.
"You're ranked number what? Eight? Nine? Don't you wanna be better than that? (Expletive) dude you beat is ranked higher than you. Don't you want an opportunity at the belt? You'd be skipping a couple of names, but (expletive), I'm giving you an opportunity. I'm doing you a favor, I'm not doing myself a (expletive) favor. I'm giving you a chance. If you don't want it, that's cool. I'll give somebody else a chance."
The top-ranked Ferguson has previously stated he won't fight for anything less than a title, and if Diaz won't capitalize on the supposed opportunity he's offering, he can return to his former fighting weight of 170 pounds - where enticing matchups abound - but not before Diaz admits he isn't interested in locking horns with "El Cucuy."
"Nate, you're not the last option. If you don't wanna fight, go hide in a hole. That's it, but you've got to admit on Twitter that you don't wanna fight me. You're (expletive) scared, homie."
McGregor himself has also drawn the lightweight contender's scorn, with Ferguson previously demanding he either defend or vacate the divisional strap, as the Irishman's next fight will likely take place in a ring as opposed to the Octagon. When asked if he feared he'd never get a crack at the highly coveted McGregor, Ferguson's response was as blunt as the words he had for Diaz.
"Why am I gonna lose sleep over (expletive) that I can't handle?"