Tony Ferguson har inte mycket till övers för legendaren Daniel Cormiers uppmaning om att han borde pensionera sig.
Tony Ferguson ger svar på tal efter att Daniel Cormier rekommenderat pensionering
Den forne interimmästaren i lättvikt gav svar på tal till Cormier, som sagt att Ferguson är ”slut”, och alla andra UFC-kommentatorer som rekommenderat pensionering efter fighterns femte raka förlust förra helgen mot Nate Diaz. Ferguson sade följande till ESPN:
When I feel like I’m ready to retire, I will retire. But right now, it’s a little bit different, a little more interesting. With that being said, ‘DC’ and all these commentators that just keep repeating the same s*** over the years – because that’s what they want me to do. They want the public eye to see me like that and they want to see me as a quitter and so on and so forth.
Ferguson tog sikte på Cormier med en referens till händelsen som gått till historien som ”Towelgate” där legendaren tog tag i handduken under invägningarna inför UFC 210 och sedan förnekade för att till slut erkänna att han gjort detta för att hjälpa honom nå vikten.
I never cheated to get on the scales to retain my championship like DC – you know, hashtag ‘Towelgate’ – these guys grabbing the towel, trying to lift some pounds off the scale. The UFC right there, they went with it. It’s different. It’s interesting. It’s like an inside job.
This guy wants to call it out, I’m going to call you right back out. You don’t have to be an a****** to the people that actually work hard. There’s a lot of up-and-coming fighters that see that s*** and you’re going to try and go with the clique – and that’s it. So don’t start that sh*t. Literally, I’ve given my shirt off my back to the fans, and same thing with the UFC, and I’ll still take my shirt off to go inside that f****** octagon and show that I’m the f****** man. I’m still the f****** champ. The s*** that I do for this company is unreal, and I love this company, too, that they can have me to back them up. I have that.
Ser positivt på framtiden
Även om han är besviken över resultatet från UFC 279 så är Ferguson optimistisk gällande sin framtid och hans nya team:
As soon as [Justin] Gaethje hit, my team kind of fell apart. Everybody went their own way – we had to. And then trying to build a new team, I found a good crew. My league of astronauts here, trying to figure out what problems. We’re back on schedule, waiting for my left shin to heal. Not kicking too hard, but hard enough. Elbows, everything in the repertoire.
Ferguson tror att det kommer räcka med ett par justeringar som att till exempel inte försöka sig på en nedtagning som gör att han blir submittad så som det gick till mot Diaz.
The company is growing, and I’m growing with the company, and to be able to help – not being long-winded – but to be able to help pave the way, kind of be right there with the promoters and try to get s*** done, that’s man s***, dude. I’ll continue to do that, despite the commentators and the people [who doubt me].
