Tony Ferguson has warned Conor McGregor that he is "not being let off easy" in his latest call-out of the former champion.
McGregor is currently recovering from a broken leg, and has slowly but surely been working his way back to full fitness in an effort to make a return to the octagon. However, he has been unable to land on an opponent as yet, and even after four straight losses, Ferguson has emerged as a real contender due to their lengthy feud.
The pair were once stablemates as part of Audie Attar's Paradigm Sports Management, but they were never friendly and when Ferguson's relationship with the company ended, so too did any pleasantries. McGregor delighted in watching Michael Chandler brutalise his rival with a front-kick KO last month, and the ex-lightweight interim champion has set his sights on the Irishman.
Ferguson shared a video of memes showing himself chasing McGregor for a fight alongside the caption: "Mcnugget Mondays Commence. We’re not letting you off that easy kid - champ." The American is known for his outlandish social media behaviour and intense interviews, and prior to his recent losing streak was considered one of the best fighters in the world.
McGregor continues to claim that he will fight for a title at welterweight in his return, but he will almost certainly need at least one fight in the meantime. That will become particularly apparent if champion Kamaru Usman does end up defending his belt against Leon Edwards in August as planned.
The promotion has a number of major stars who could be made available for McGregor's comeback fight, including Ferguson's old foes Chandler or Justin Gaethje. They have both fought for the lightweight title within the past year and been unable to secure gold, but a win over McGregor could cement them in a new weight class at 170lb.
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However, the Irishman could also end up facing a slightly less competitive figure such as Ferguson, or his old rival Nate Diaz. The UFC would likely jump at making a trilogy between Diaz and McGregor after their two massive fights in 2016 left them at 1-1, but the California native needs to sign a new deal with the promotion first.
McGregor most recently admitted that he was "upset" with himself over taking aim at Ferguson after his latest loss, and appeared to blame Twitter itself for his messages. "I’m upset I went at Tony like that," he tweeted, before referencing Elon Musk's purchase of the company. "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."
