Tony Ferguson Rather Fight Khabib Over McGregor

Tony Ferguson doesn’t think Conor McGregor is in the mix for a UFC lightweight title shot.

“El Cucuy” is currently nursing a knee injury that he recently underwent an operation on to repair. He was originally scheduled to defend his then-interim UFC lightweight title against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223, with the winner being promoted to undisputed champion.

Instead, Ferguson was injured after tripping during a UFC media obligation and was pulled from the fight. Khabib went on to defeat Al Iaquinta in the main event of UFC 223 and is now the champion at 155 pounds.

Ferguson spoke to media at a UFC Hall Of Fame red carpet event recently and offered his thoughts on the current state of the lightweight division. When asked if he preferred a match-up with Nurmagomedov or McGregor, Ferguson selected his longtime Russian rival but admitted he’d fight McGregor if the money was right:

“Obviously the one I prepared for the most,” Ferguson said. “But, I mean, obviously if the money is right and Conor wants to fight, we’ll make it happen and obviously we’ll talk.”

The former interim lightweight champ has yet to be cleared by doctors for a return, but said he’ll be cleared to train next month and believes he can fight again before the end of 2018:

“Once I start impact, then I can start jumping, start doing all these different things,” he said.

“Actually, I’m going to take up gymnastics. (I’ve done) a lot of different things for upper body. I did a lot of stuff jiu-jitsu, a lot of my lower body; my lower clinch is a lot better. Just making sure there’s no holes in my game.”

Recently Conor McGregor’s head coach, John Kavanagh, said that negotiations for McGregor vs. Nurmagomedov are currently in the works. UFC President Dana White shot those rumors down and said McGregor’s fight future won’t be discussed until after he settles his legal issues in regards to his UFC bus attack in Brooklyn.

Ferguson said he doesn’t think McGregor is in the mix for the 155-pound title, and still thinks the fight to make is him against Khabib:

“McGregor, in my opinion, is not in the mix,” Ferguson said. “It’s Khabib and me. It’s ‘El Cucuy’ vs. ‘The Eagle.’ I would like to see him (McGregor) fight again, not because of what the tabloids and everybody says are going on, but because he’s an athlete, straight up.”

“I’ve seen him, I’ve met him, I’ve talked to him. A lot of these fighters are out there, it’s just a front. I’m not gonna expose his cover, but look, man, do your sh-t, handle it, and get back on the f-cking mat.”