Trading Shots: Did Tony Ferguson blow his big chance to demand a title shot?

Did Tony Ferguson blow a major opportunity in his post-fight interview at UFC Fight Night 98? Was his refusal to call for a title shot actually a reasonable response to the current UFC climate? In this week’s Trading Shots, retired UFC and WEC fighter Danny Downes joins MMAjunkie columnist Ben Fowlkes to debate.

* * * *

Downes: Ben, on Tuesday we have a presidential election here in the United States. That’s why I believe it’s our civic duty to use this space to discuss the issues. First, with regards to the economy…

Nah, I’m just messing with you. We need a political discussion in this space about as much as we need another season of “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America.”

On Saturday night, your guy Tony Ferguson (22-3 MMA, 12-1 UFC) defeated former champ Rafael dos Anjos (25-9 MMA, 14-7 UFC) by unanimous decision in Mexico City. Then, when he had his chance on the microphone to make his case for the lightweight title shot, he said, “Viva Mexico!” and walked out. When asked about why he didn’t call anyone out, he had this to say:

“When I get to that title, it will be my title, and it will by my fight. Not because I talked my way to get there, or because I have a big-ass following. I don’t care. I’m here for a reason. I’m here to win.”

While it’s a noble sentiment, it does seem a bit shortsighted. Should we classify your homie T-Ferg as naive, indifferent or enlightened?

Fowlkes: I’m torn on this one. Remember when Nate Diaz declared that title stuff to be “a fairytale” and we all went, hey, maybe he’s right? Then Ferguson comes along with a great case for a title shot, tells us he’s not worried about getting it, and now we’re all wondering what his problem is.

A part of me thinks this might be a defense mechanism on Ferguson’s part. Anyone who’s paying attention knows by now that simply deserving a title shot doesn’t mean you’ll get one. That’s doubly true in any division where Conor McGregor is involved. He’s like a huge boulder falling into a pond. There’s no telling how far the ripples will travel or what the waves will knock out of place before it’s over.

So why get your hopes up? Why not just tell yourself that the thing to do is beat up every living human who is fool enough to get in a cage with you? If you can’t reasonably convince yourself that you’re in control of your own destiny, maybe all you can do is stop worrying about it.

Then again, look at dos Anjos. Look at Anthony Pettis before him. See how easy it is to fall off the mountaintop, especially in a division overflowing with talent.

What I wonder is, would Ferguson really improve his lot by screaming for a title shot? Khabib Nurmagomedov did that, and look at him. He gets Michael Johnson on Saturday’s UFC 205 prelims. He wins that, there’s no guarantee it will help him any. So what magic words could Ferguson have said to make his situation any different?

Downes: With a defeatist attitude like that, it’s no wonder you decided to write about fighting instead of doing it. There are a number of issues with your argument, so I’ll try to take it like by line.

Your first assumption is that Ferguson doesn’t care about getting a title shot. Let’s just say that’s true. Then what’s his end goal?

Some fighters are open about the fact that they’re interested in making money. They don’t care about rankings or belts. Ferguson hasn’t expressed those sentiments. So if he doesn’t care about getting a title shot and doesn’t care about the money fight, what does that leave?

The “I’ll fight anybody they put in front of me” attitude is basically the same as “whatever the UFC wants.” That type of passivity hurts fighters. Not only does it work against individual fighters who are not looking out for their own best interests, it also hurts the group. There are many impediments to the collectivization of fighters. One of the biggest is fighters’ own indifference.

Which leads us to your second assertion: What’s the point? There’s no guarantee that asking for a title shot would do any good, so why even try, right? Just because you may not get the result you want, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make an attempt. Both inside and outside the cage, you have to work for your interests. Fighters have to take a role in the non-fighting aspects of their careers. It may be boring. It may be tedious. You may have to talk to some dork from Montana on the phone, but it’s necessary.

By throwing up your hands ands saying, “Who cares?” you’re quitting before the race even starts. Not only that, someone else will take your shot if you don’t. Waiting for the fight you want to come your way without asking for it is foolish. That’s like saying I plan on getting another writing job by “trusting the universe.” Indifference doesn’t make you intelligent. It means you don’t want to invest in something so you can complain about any result. How is this attitude in Ferguson’s (or any fighter’s) best interests?

Fowlkes: I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the guy who retired from fighting and now sits at home writing about it assumes that everyone who does one must have chosen it over the other.

As usual, you’re misunderstanding my point. I’m not saying Ferguson should give up hope of ever getting a title shot. I also don’t think he was really telling us that he does not care whether or not he ever gets one. I think what he’s saying is that his focus on becoming the top lightweight via an extended trial by combat – not by maneuvering himself into that position with strategic callouts.

That seems like a reasonable response to the situation, even if it might not seem like the best plan to us. It doesn’t mean he won’t get the shot anyway, especially if fans demand it, which they very well may. It doesn’t even prevent him from joining with his fellow fighters to seek out a collective bargaining agreement, should he choose to do so. It’s just a way of thinking and being that focuses on things he can control without getting hung up on all he can’t.

You think he should have jumped on the mic in the middle of the night on FS1 and demanded his shot. Maybe so. But then maybe Nurmagomedov smokes Johnson on the UFC 205 prelims next weekend, when way more people will probably be watching, and he demands the same thing. After that, maybe McGregor takes the title and announces plans for extended vacation, after which he will settle his score with Diaz.

These are all possible and maybe even likely scenarios. All of them end with Ferguson getting shut out of the title picture. In a sport in which it’s that easy for deserving athletes to get screwed, I can’t blame anyone who decides that the only real choice is how mad you let yourself get about it.

Downes: At least we can agree that the other is misunderstanding the point. The politics of any job can be frustrating. You ran through the possible scenarios where Ferguson misses out on a title shot, and I wouldn’t be surprised by any of them. The odds may be against him, but that doesn’t mean passivity is the answer.

You don’t have to hop on the mic and cut a promo or try to be McGregor Lite. You do, however, have to make your case. If you wait your turn, you might wind up waiting longer than necessary.

For more on UFC Fight Night 98, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

Ben Fowlkes is MMAjunkie and USA TODAY’s MMA columnist. Danny Downes, a retired UFC and WEC fighter, is an MMAjunkie contributor who also writes for UFC.com and UFC 360. Follow them on twitter at @benfowlkesMMA and @dannyboydownes.