Tony Ferguson is disenchanted with the UFC title picture.
Before being stopped by Justin Gaethje at UFC 249 in May, Ferguson was riding one of the most impressive winning streaks in UFC history. "El Cucuy" won 12 consecutive fights in the shark tank that is the promotion's lightweight division.
Ferguson makes his return to the Octagon at UFC 256 against Charles Oliveira. He took part in a media day scrum with the press on Wednesday. There was a lot to unpack from the interview, including Ferguson calling the UFC title "a wet dream."
?That title?s a wet dream," Ferguson said (h/t MMA Fighting). ?Like that Farmer?s Insurance commercial, ?You almost got it, keep it going, we?re just going to keep dangling it in front of you.? I don?t know what the problem is. I don?t know if it?s because I?m Mexican. I?m an American with Mexican parts. 12 fight win streak, eight years in the making before women?s sports were even in [the UFC]. Conor [McGregor] was on welfare. All these different things and I still didn?t earn a title shot."
?But I?m still sitting saying fuck the free world, just like Eminem. The most naked I?ve ever been my whole entire life. I?m still here. I?m still waiting. I?ve got the belt in my room," he continued. "I could go after another belt but how much greed is that? I?ve got an Ultimate Fighter trophy. I?ve got a [Fighter?s Only] trophy. I?ve got a UFC belt. I?ve got medals and I?m Lord of the Rings with all my championship rings.?
Ferguson also addressed the reports that he turned down a fight with soon-to-be UFC debutant Michael Chandler.
"UFC said that Chandler had a fight, and then Chandler said that he didn?t have a fight,? Ferguson explained. ?Somewhere along the line, somebody was fucking lying. I?m sitting here [to] tell you [to] get your fucking facts straight."
"Oliveira?s the only game opponent that wanted to fight,? Ferguson said. ?Chandler doesn?t want to fight. Poirier doesn?t want to fight. McNuggets (Conor McGregor) ran and Tiramisu?s (Khabib Nurmagomedov) gone."
Ferguson expressed his discontent with the UFC's matchmaking process.
"You got these assholes that were going to fucking put these guys over top of me and want to move me back to No. 5. It happened before," he stated. "I hate to say it but matchmaking is like a logarithm. I found it, I called it."
?This is where we?re at today at UFC 256 ? I?m the co-main event,? Ferguson concluded. ?Nobody spoke up for me to get a title fight. A 12-fight win streak... What did I do wrong? Step on somebody?s toes? Did I speak up for myself? That was so bad right? This is funny to me.?
Fightful has all of your MMA needs covered. Follow us on Twitter for updates, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for exclusive interviews, lists, news updates, and predictions.