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UFC president Dana White won’t be calling the shots for Tony Ferguson’s career, “El Cucuy” recently asserted.
The No. 9-ranked lightweight is coming off a ruthless KO, courtesy of Michael Chandler, at UFC 274 earlier this month. But, Ferguson’s made it clear that he fully intends on becoming champion one day.
The fighter was featured on Monday’s episode of “The MMA Hour” and he revealed that competing at welterweight is a possible next step. But, according to El Cucuy, the UFC president has a history of making Ferguson “feel like s***” about the notion of changing weight classes.
“I have nothing against going up a weight class,” Ferguson said via MMA News. “For a long time, Dana made me feel like s*** for going up a weight. But he made me feel like s*** for a long time, and when you have people making you feel like s*** like that, essentially you start to almost believe it.
“I’m not standing here giving him the finger, but I’m kinda sitting here like, I’m gonna do me for me now, and you’re gonna watch me now. I’m not tryna be unhappy anymore, because I just can’t do that s*** anymore. I’m not gonna let commentary or people have that fault and throw it in my s***. I do that myself, and I do it enough.”
Ferguson Says ‘I Call the Shots,’ He’ll Fight When He Wants to Fight
Well, El Cucuy is going to do what’s best for El Cucuy, regardless of what the UFC president thinks.
“As far as a return, he says I’m gonna take some time off,” Ferguson continued. “Man, I call the shots. Whenever I say I fight, they always give me a fight, and that’s how it goes… They know already. When I say I’m ready, I’m gonna be ready.”
Ferguson is on the worst downhill slide of his professional mixed martial arts career. He’s dropped his last four contests in a row, which includes a TKO loss to Justin Gaethje, two dominant unanimous decision defeats to Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush, and a savage KO to Chandler.
He boasts a record of 25-7, holding wins over the likes of former UFC 155-pound champions Anthony Pettis and Rafael dos Anjos.
Ferguson Hates ‘Being Skinny,’ Open to Welterweight Move
When speaking with MMA Junkie last week, Ferguson talked about the potential move back up to welterweight. El Cucuy burst onto the UFC scene by winning “The Ultimate Fighter” season 13 welterweight tournament in 2011.
El Cucuy didn’t stay at 170 pounds, however, electing to drop down to 155 pounds where he’s been ever since. And it might be time for the 38-year-old fighter to return to his former division.
“I wouldn’t mind going back up to 170,” Ferguson said via MMA Mania. “I knocked everybody out up there at 170. This cut to 155, it’s not too hard, but I lose a lot of muscle mass, man. I f****** hate being skinny like that, I look like a little b****, I don’t f****** like that.
“I work my a** off to put on muscle and make sure that I eat right, and I do that, and my pops always told me, ‘Anthony, wrestle at your own bodyweight.’ And I haven’t done that for a while.”