Getty Tony Ferguson
Former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson is on an 0-4 skid, and Brendan Schaub believes “El Cucuy” is a great choice for Conor McGregor’s comeback opponent.
Ferguson, who was once the owner of a 12-fight win streak, hasn’t picked up a victory since defeating Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 238 in June 2019 via TKO. In May 2020 at UFC 249, El Cucuy suffered his first defeat since 2012 when he was taken out by Justin Gaethje in the fifth round via strikes.
Following that, Ferguson dropped back-to-back lopsided unanimous decisions to Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush.
In his most recent outing, El Cucuy was starched by Michael Chandler at UFC 274 in May when “Iron” landed a brutal head kick, knocking the American out cold.
Schaub Said Ferguson Is ‘Best Bet’ for McGregor’s Return
At 38, El Cucuy (25-7) is still committed to working his way to UFC gold. But regardless of Ferguson’s self-belief, Schaub thinks McGregor would have the easiest time getting past El Cucuy when looking at lightweight’s top-10 contenders.
That’s what the fighter-turned-MMA-analyst told The Schmo in a recent interview.
“If I’m Conor McGregor’s team, the smart route to go is – you gotta get a win,” Schaub said via Low Kick MMA. “So if my poison is Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson – you know, it’s not a knock on Tony, but I would say, Chandler just beat Tony. I would go for Tony, get a win, and then try to fight Charles Oliveira – or f*****’ (Islam) Makhachev — Makhachev’s a tough fight for Conor.”
“He [Conor McGregor] has to get a win,” Schaub continued (h/t BJPenn.com). “So Tony Ferguson is probably your best bet out of that bunch. You gotta get a win – and Michael Chandler’s tough, man.”
It’s unclear when “Notorious” will make his Octagon return, but with the end-of-the-year pay-per-view events filling up, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Irishman remain on the shelf until early 2023.
Chandler Wants to Fight McGregor, Notorious Showed Interest Also
After knocking out Ferguson, Iron called out McGregor for a welterweight clash while speaking with color commentator Joe Rogan.
“I’ve got one dude on my mind,” Chandler erupted during the broadcast. “Conor McGregor! You’ve got to come back and fight somebody. I am the most entertaining lightweight on the planet. But I want to up the stakes, Conor. I want you at your biggest. I want you at your baddest and I want you at your best.
“You and me at 170!”
Chandler’s words elicited a response from McGregor that night, who took to Twitter and wrote:
“I’d have a nice knock off this guy, no doubt about it. A firework spectacle. I like the 170 shout also. Tipped him over. I’m definitely game to fight this guy at some stage in my career. I see it happening after tonight. Congrats on a solid win Michael and another barnstormer.”
McGregor last fought at UFC 264 when he battled Dustin Poirier in a trilogy match. At the end of the opening frame, Notorious broke his leg and the fight was called off. He’s dropped two fights in a row to “The Diamond,” and he said earlier this year that he doesn’t want to cut back down to lightweight and is eyeing 170 pounds instead.