It appears former interim UFC lightweight champion, Tony Ferguson has fallen victim to a fake quote circulated from UFC president, Dana White – denying that he is a “washed up” fighter following a string of four consecutive losses at 155lbs.
Ferguson, a former interim lightweight champion and the current #9 ranked contender in the division, suffered his fourth consecutive defeat at UFC 274 in May, dropping a brutal second round, front kick knockout loss against Michael Chandler. The stoppage came as Ferguson’s first professional KO defeat.
The continued skid in Phoenix, Arizona – despite landing the opening round following a knockdown of his own, follows prior one-sided defeats against Beneil Dariush, former champion, Charles Oliveira, and Justin Gaethje.
Tony Ferguson denies he is “washed up” following his losing skid
Denying claims from a fake quote from the aforenoted White which circulated over the course of the weekend, Ferguson claimed that he was not, in fact “washed up” – with the fake narrative appearing to light a fire under the Oxnard veteran.
“Washed up?” Tony Ferguson posted on his Instagram accompanied by a picture of him training. “@DanaWhite I’ll give you washed up… Washed deez nuts. Now I’m pissed. #SometimesYouNeedToHearThatSh*t #FiresF*ckin’Lit. #TUFTimes.”
In the time since his knockout loss to Chandler, Ferguson has been continually linked with a potential role on a new season of The Ultimate Fighter – opposite former undisputed champion and arch-rival, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Both Ferguson and Khabib have been entirely receptive to potentially featuring as coaches on a reboot of TUF – with the above mentioned, White joking recently that he hoped the duo would have such a disdain for each other, that he would attempt to book them for a fight for a staggering sixth separate occasion.
“Hopefully they’ll (Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson) get pissed off enough at each other that they actually want to fight and I can make them fight,” Dana White said. “I’m in. You sold me.”