Tag: Tony Ferguson

Former interim UFC lightweight champion, Tony Ferguson reportedly told UFC Chief Business Officer, Hunter Campbell, how a ride in the latter’s Bentley – would likely help him decide whether or not he would save last weekend’s UFC 279 card, and fight Nate Diaz on a days’ notice. 

Ferguson, a former interim lightweight champion under the promotion’s banner and The Ultimate Fighter 13 victor, entered last week’s UFC 279 card, originally slated to fight Li Jingliang.

However, on Friday of fight week, event headliner, Khamzat Chimaev missed the welterweight limit of 171lbs for his main event fight with Diaz – tipping the scales at 178.5lbs for the bout. With the matchup in jeopardy, the promotion floated a potential welterweight fight between Ferguson and Diaz. 

And as per a report from ESPN MMA reporter, Brett Okamoto, who detailed the scenario in which the organization attempted to save their flagship event, Tony Ferguson, who was contacted about the possibility of fighting Diaz on short notice, made a leftfield proposition in order to speed up his decision-making. 

Spotting the aforenoted, Campbell’s Bentley vehicle parked outside the UFC Apex facility, Tony Ferguson – half joking, claimed that he would likely do his best thinking regarding saving the main event against Diaz, if he drove the car – with the Chief Business Officer tossing the keys to the Oxnard native. 

“You take the car for as long as you want,” Hunter Campbell said. “I don’t give a sh*t about the car.” 

Ferguson is said to have returned to the UFC Apex facility 45 minutes later – Bentley in tow, before agreeing to face Diaz in the main event of UFC 279.

Tony Ferguson eventually suffered a fourth round submission loss at UFC 279

Battling back-and-forth over the course of four rounds against the Stockton veteran at the T-Mobile Arena, Ferguson, who took the opening three rounds on one of the judge’s scorecards, eventually gave up a fourth round guillotine choke submission loss to Diaz.