Tony Ferguson: WHY have I never gotten a title shot??!?

Tony Ferguson started fighting in the UFC in 2008, and from 2013-2019, he put together a twelve-fight win streak, winning eight performance bonuses in the final eight fights. He won the interim title in 2017, only to see it stripped due to injury, and in his last outing, he lost an interim title fight vs. Justin Gaethje, earning his fifth Fight of the Night in six fights. However, in all those years, he has never had an actual, real title fight. At Wednesday’s UFC 256 media day, Gaethje asked why.

That title’s a wet dream, said Ferguson. 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 f*** 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. 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.

After losing to Gaethje, Ferguson wanted a fight fast. He got Dustin Poirier, but neither fighter could come to terms, so Poirier got Conor McGregor. Then “El Cucuy” wanted newly signed three-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler, but that fight too didn’t materialize, and Ferguson sharply corrected reporter Danny Segura, who said he had turned down a fight vs. Chandler.

UFC said that Chandler had a fight, and then Chandler said that he didn’t have a fight, explained Ferguson. Somewhere along the line, somebody was f***ing lying. I’m sitting here tell you get your f***ing facts straight.

Oliveira’s the only game opponent that wanted to fight. Chandler doesn’t want to fight. Poirier doesn’t want to fight. McNuggets [Conor McGregor] ran and Tiramisu’s [Khabib Nurmagomedov] gone.

You got these assh***s that were going to f***ing put these guys over top of me and want to move me back to No. 5. It happened before. 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. 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.

Ferguson fights Charles Oliveira in the co-main event of UFC 256 on Saturday night. Will he finally get a title fight with a win? With Khabib still officially the champ, and Conor McGregor returning, It doesn’t feel likely.