"I like getting hit" - Tony Ferguson recalls encouraging Justin Gaethje to beat him up during their UFC 249 encounter
Tony Ferguson has been reminiscing about his last fight ahead of his octagon return.
Back in May, in the main event of UFC 249, which was the first UFC show back since the pandemic, Ferguson took on Gaethje for the interim lightweight title. It was a an intriguing matchup and one many thought Ferguson would win. However, that was not the case as Gaethje put on a striking clinic and eventually scored a fifth-round TKO.
Now, months later, Ferguson says he made a mistake against Gaethje as he wanted to get hit and put on an exciting fight for the fans.
"I like getting hit. There were a lot of things going on and I like getting hit. I was telling Gaethje and I was encouraging him, I'm the type of guy to encourage his opponent to beat his ass. Think about that. I'm the kind of guy because I want to see someone go in there and really try and take the belt from me," Ferguson said to BT Sport. "Gaethje went in there and did his thing, man. I want to be real, subconsciously I wanted to get hit. There was so much bullshit going on in the world I felt like I needed to be that guy and I was. So, you guys are welcome and it won't happen again. I'm not going to scare my supporter's kids anymore."
Tony Ferguson's road to redemption
Following the loss, Tony Ferguson was forced to sit on it for quite some time. It was a disappointing result for him and it snapped his winning streak. Now, he is set to return to the octagon in the co-main event of UFC 256 against rising lightweight contender, Charles Oliveira.
If Ferguson wants to remain a top contender in the division he will need to beat Oliveira. If he loses to the Brazilian, at 36-years-old, his best days would be behind him and it would be unlikely that he would work his way back to a title shot.
On Saturday night, Ferguson knows the stakes are high and won't be looking to get hit this time around.