Tony Ferguson had some harsh words for Michael Chandler and believes he was handed a UFC title shot.
After Chandler signed with the UFC, he was linked to fights with Dustin Poirier and Tony Ferguson. The latter of which was supposed to take place in October at UFC 254, but due to contract negotiations, the fight never took place. According to “El Cucuy” he says it was on Chandler’s side.
When the two finally got face-to-face at the UFC 262 press conference, Ferguson and Chandler got into a heated exchange over the situation.
Ferguson: You f*****g dodged me too, Chandler.
Chandler: Hey, that’s not true.
Ferguson: You’re a b***h, every f*****g person here except for this guy (points to Charles Oliveira) that’s sitting next to me, I’m gonna be real man. The other side, those guys are losers, this sides the victory table.
Chandler: That’s not true, Tony. You could’ve fought me on January 23, and I would’ve done the same thing to you.
Ferguson: You said no, man. I’m gonna be real, you got this s**t handed to you, you got Dana White privilege.
Chandler: Oh, Tony. Thanks, Dana.
Ferguson: It’s all love, baby.
Tony Ferguson certainly has a point as many have questioned if Chandler deserved a UFC title shot after just one win. Although he is the former Bellator lightweight champ, he didn’t beat anyone in the top-five in his debut but had a phenomenal first-round TKO win over Dan Hooker. Dustin Poirier also wanted the Conor McGregor trilogy, which let Chandler slide into the vacant title shot.
Ferguson is set to face Beneil Dariush in the UFC 262 co-main event in a pivotal fight for El Cucuy. He’s on a two-fight losing streak and many have wondered if he is past his prime and no longer the elite fighter he is.