Ferguson calls out Nate Diaz: 'Live what you say'
Tony Ferguson is ready to put a fruitless rivalry behind him.
Over the past year and change, "El Cucuy" has seen three separate dates with Khabib Nurmagomedov fall through, the latest an interim lightweight title bout booked for UFC 209 that was scrapped hours prior due to issues with Nurmagomedov's weight cut.
Not only was Ferguson offered a non-title bout with Michael Johnson for less pay to remain on the card, he claims to have been compensated with less than half the $250,000 he'd been set to make after turning down the last-minute matchup.
The lightweight contender joined Ariel Helwani on "The MMA Hour" Monday to put his misfortune behind him, and when narrowing down what worthwhile matchups remained for him at the top of the 155-pound food chain, all signs pointed toward a date with Nate Diaz, preferably with a title on the line.
"I’m just throwing a name out there, but I think Nate Diaz and myself could actually put on a good show," Ferguson said, according to MMA Fighting's Chuck Mondenhall. "I think his ranking is kind of bullshit too, but I don’t really see anybody else. I mean, Edson Barboza called me out, but it is what it is. Everything’s in the air right now. I want to fight for the title. I want a fair fight, I want to go in there and kick this dude’s ass no matter who’s signed to the dotted line, and fucking move on. And kick Conor’s ass. I don’t know what he’s up to, but lets just go."
A winner of a division-best nine straight, Ferguson has already tangled with most of the lightweight elite and boasts a nearly identical fighting style to the eighth-ranked Diaz's, as both possess unorthodox - yet undeniably effective - striking and crafty ground games.
With Edson Barboza in his rear view and Michael Chiesa sitting too far down the totem pole for his liking, Ferguson's investment in a potential dance with Diaz grew as he and Helwani sifted through the divisional title picture.
"Just because he’s a decent striker, I mean, I haven’t had a knockout in a long time. Not trying to call out my shot for a knockout, but I think my boxing’s a little bit better than his. It is what it is, I think my stand-up is a lot better, but this is not a boxing match, it’s MMA. And I’m just starting to mix it up with some takedowns and cool stuff."
The normally game Diaz hasn't entered the Octagon since falling to Conor McGregor by majority decision in their rematch at UFC 202 last August, and likely won't return to action unless the cabbage is right, but that didn't keep Ferguson from challenging him to a showdown later this year.
"July’s fine, I like July. If we can do this sooner, that’d be dope. But you name the place, you name the time, and I’ll be right there and I’ll knock the guy out.
"Let’s go man, I want to go toe-to-toe. Think you’re good, think you’re bad, think, you say 'don’t be scared homie,' I’m standing right here. Live what you say."