Conor McGregor mocked Tony Ferguson for his drastic change in body shape as his old rival prepares to move up to welterweight at UFC 279 this weekend.
Ferguson will face Li Jingliang at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas tomorrow night as he makes the step up from lightweight, where he was once the interim champion. The American has been struggling to get back to form at 155lb since losing his interim title fight with Justin Gaethje in May 2020, and was viciously knocked out by Michael Chandler back in May.
But he returns against a formidable, if less explosively dangerous, opponent on Saturday night, although McGregor was unimpressed with his new physique. Sharing a photo comparing his pre-fight photoshoot from this week and the week he fought Chandler, McGregor sent a pair of crying laughing emojis before deleting the post quickly.
The pair have no love lost, with the Irishman taking every opportunity to mock his rival after he was head-kicked and knocked out by Chandler in May. Ferguson has often referred to McGregor as "McNuggets", and McGregor took the chance to joke about how his face looked like a nugget after he was kicked by the former Bellator champion.
Ferguson responded with messages of his own, with tweets such as "Ahhh There’s my b****. Next time tag me p****. Coming after you & your crew," and "McNugget stays with you fake, can’t take what not you are anymore you thief. Still got no sauce & no balls McNuggets. I’ll see you and your crew soon coming after your gold leprechaun."
He later apologised for his jokes, admitting that he was "upset" that he allowed social media to put him in a mindset where he would mock a fellow athlete for a loss like that. He appeared to blame Elon Musk who at the time was in the process of buying the company although the deal ultimately fell through.
What did you make of Conor McGregor's deleted tweet to Tony Ferguson? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
"I’m upset I went at Tony like that," McGregor said. "Out straight. Wtf team, this is not a nice app nor does it encourage nice behaviour toward each other. 43billion, man pull that and say 'sike' who give a f***, really. No one. Dip to a dip on the ship. The carry the toys ship. Leave a beast a beast."
Ferguson was once signed to McGregor's management company Paradigm Sports under Audie Attar, but the relationship soured amid his rivalry with the Irishman. He now has new representation, and the pair have conflicting stories of his fallout with the company.
There is still keen interest for a fight between the pair, particularly given their recent losing runs. McGregor has insisted that he will be moving up to welterweight when he eventually returns from his broken leg, and Ferguson could end up staying at the weight if he wins on Saturday.
