Tony Ferguson is one guy who doesn't care about dos Anjos vs. Cerrone

There’s one UFC lightweight who isn’t critically invested in the outcome of a title fight between champ Rafael dos Anjos and Donald Cerrone.

You’d think it would be otherwise for Tony Ferguson, who’s won seven straight fights, including a barnburner with Edson Barboza this past Friday that undoubtedly will make top-10 lists for the best of the year. The winner of Saturday’s rematch between dos Anjos (24-7 MMA, 13-5 UFC) and Cerrone (28-6 MMA, 15-3 UFC) could move on to fight newly crowned featherweight champ Conor McGregor (19-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in a superfight for the lightweight title.

To Ferguson, though, it makes no difference who’s next to fight him. He believes what he’s doing inside the cage will eventually lead to the opportunity he wants, regardless of when it arrives.

“If (dos Anjos) wins or loses, it doesn’t matter,” Ferguson told MMAjunkie Radio. “I’m perfectly fine taking this step by step. Whatever I’m doing is working, and if they want to give me a title shot, that’s awesome.

“But I like scaring the hell out of the division, personally. I don’t think anyone wants to sign up and fight me right away. They’re going to have to start thinking about what route they’re going to try get to the belt to avoid me. But it’s not happening. I’m coming. I’ve got every single one of their numbers.”

Ferguson (20-3 MMA, 10-1 UFC) was scheduled to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov (22-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC), a fighter whose wrestling skills have previously made him tough to book, at The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale this past Friday at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. But Nurmagomedov suffered another injury setback and was replaced by striking specialist Barboza (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC).

Despite the stark difference of opponent on short notice, Ferguson took the fight without pause.

“I had a perfect camp for a Sambo-type fighter, and then they wanted to throw a sharpshooter at me,” he said. “So I was like, all right, we’ll change the game up a little bit. But my plan wasn’t anything different: I was going to go in and submit the dude.”

Yet Ferguson struggled inside the octagon, taking counter after counter from Barboza. By the end of the first round, it appeared he was on a trajectory to lose the bout, despite the grit he showed in walking through Barboza’s punches and occasionally scoring with his own.

A loss would have ended Ferguson’s second bid for a UFC belt after a decision loss to Michael Johnson sent him back to the drawing board in 2012.

But Ferguson never doubted his ability to eventually wear down his opponent. He didn’t even think he exposed himself to much damage, despite evidence to the contrary.

“It’s a fight,” he said. “You’re going to get hit. You’re going to hit people, and that’s what going to happen. I just knew Edson wasn’t going to break me before he did. I knew he was going to break mentally, and that was the game plan.”

Indeed, a tired Barboza shot for a sloppy takedown in the second and exposed his neck, allowing Ferguson to secure his signature submission, a D’Arce choke. The fight was over at the 2:54 mark of the frame.

Ferguson said he wanted to attend the post-event news conference and then scarf down pizza and beer to enjoy his victory. Instead, he was shipped to the hospital, where crackers served as his celebration meal.

“I was like, ‘All right. I’ll set up for some saltines,’” he said. “Carbs, man. That’s all I needed.”

Ferguson now faces a potential six-month suspension, but he likely will be cleared with a CT scan, and the lacerations he sustained will heal fairly soon.

The performance won Ferguson a rare dual-bonus – the UFC awarded him “Performance of the Night” and “Fight of the Night” honors at $50,000 each.

It wouldn’t be surprising if his family members thought the payoff was too little for the damage he took. But he said they have a different perspective than those who watch as civilians.

“They don’t get worried for me because they see me train this way day in and day out,” he said. “The fight is the fun part for me. That’s the easy part. The training and coming home and going through all the B.S., icing, having to take epsom salt baths, the 80-some pills I have to take a damn day because after putting your body through hell, you have to put in vitamins and nutrients.

“I can understand how Georges St-Pierre became OCD, because in order to be a champ, you have to take the necessary steps.”

And Ferguson is making every effort to move forward so he might one day see his goal of owning a UFC belt realized.

Before he stepped into the cage against Barboza, though, he brushed aside any doubts.

“I told my family I was going to be right back,” he said. “Gimme 2.2 (minutes).”

For complete coverage of the TUF 22 Finale, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

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