Conor McGregor says Tony Ferguson is the most underrated fighter in the UFC right now
Former Two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor had an interesting answer when asked who he believes is the most underrated fighter in the UFC today.
As part of his #AskNotorious Q&A on Twitter, the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion was asked which fighter he feels isn’t getting as much attention, and his response was none other than fellow lightweight contender Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson.
“Tony Ferguson. It chops and changes daily however in this hollow forgetful business of recency,” McGregor replied, while taking a not-so-subtle dig at the MMA world’s tendencies for recency bias.
While Conor McGregor has always been known for his next-level trash talk, the brash Irishman has also usually given credit where credit is due. In the same Q&A, McGregor also gave props to former opponents such as Nate Diaz, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and even Jeremy Stephens, who he notoriously burned with the now-iconic ‘Who the f*ck is that guy?’ comeback at a UFC press conference.
Ferguson, meanwhile, has taken his own shots at McGregor on Twitter, most recently posting a video of how he believes a fight with “The Notorious” would play out.
A Conor McGregor vs. Tony Ferguson fight could happen in the future
A lightweight bout between top contenders Conor McGregor and Tony Ferguson could materialize sooner rather than later.
With the UFC’s lightweight division currently in a state of uncertainty following reigning champion Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement at UFC 254, a number of successors to the throne have been discussed, including McGregor and Ferguson.
Currently the number 4-ranked contender in the division, Conor McGregor has recently publicly committed to the 155-pound division and is reportedly set to face number 2-ranked contender Dustin Poirier in a rematch with serious title implications this January.
Ferguson - the number 3-ranked contender - is coming off a loss to top-ranked contender Justin Gaethje, but could very well be involved in a title eliminator matchup as well.
As such, the possibility of a McGregor-Ferguson duel for a possibly-vacant UFC lightweight championship in the near future is not far off.