Not only was Tony Ferguson struck by the disappointment of having to withdraw from the UFC 223 main event – his opportunity to finally fight Khabib Nurmagomedov and claim the undisputed UFC lightweight title – but he also had to face UFC president Dana White saying that his interim lightweight title would no go away.
Heaped onto all of the disappointment, Ferguson is also battling back the jeers of current UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and his rival Nate Diaz.
Of course, it’s not all that surprising that Ferguson would receive a heavy dose of criticism after some harsh trash talk fired at Nurmagomedov, doubting that the Dagestani fighter would make it to the octagon, only to have to withdraw from the fight himself.
Ferguson tripped on a cord at a UFC 223 media appearance with FOX, tearing his lateral collateral ligament, which forced him out of the fight.
Now, he’s fending off McGregor and Diaz, who have been taking jabs at Ferguson on social media.
“Lol. These guys can’t even make it to war,” Diaz tweeted.
Lol these guys can't even make it to war..
— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) April 2, 2018
Of course, that’s a difficult criticism to deflect, as Ferguson vs. Nurmagomedov have been scheduled to fight four times. Each fighter has had to withdraw twice, leaving one of the most anticipated fights in UFC history unfulfilled. Ferguson, however, found a razor-sharp retort in his arsenal for Diaz.
“Stay in your lane, Nathan. Last time I checked, you ducked the whole roster,” Ferguson tweeted in response, referencing Diaz having sat on the sideline since UFC 202 in August of 2016. “Can’t fight a war if you never sign up for battle.”
.Stay In Your Lane Nathan, Last Time I Checked You Ducked The Whole Roster. Can’t Fight In A War If You Never Sign Up For Battle. https://t.co/x0HKElDd3n
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) April 3, 2018
McGregor was a bit more off-color than Diaz with his shot across the bow.
“These fools pull out more times than I do with my dick,” he tweeted.
These fools pull out more times than I do with my dick.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 2, 2018
Of course, Ferguson couldn’t let that one lay either, finding another snap back.
“Can’t pull out if you never fight, McNuggets. Stay in your lane, McDucker. God job staying ready.”
.Can’t Pull Out If You Never Fight McNuggets- Stay In Your Lane McDucker, Good Job “Staying Ready”™? https://t.co/LNp8ksyI0U
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) April 3, 2018
UFC 223 will move forward on Saturday with Nurmagomedov facing UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway with the undisputed lightweight title still on the line, thus the reasoning behind Ferguson being stripped of the interim belt. The co-main event features UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas putting her belt on the line in an immediate rematch with Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Follow along on Saturday on MMAWeekly.com for UFC 223: Khabib vs. Holloway full live results and fight stats.
