"It was a send-off fight" - Tony Ferguson claims he allowed Nate Diaz to take breaks during their main event clash at UFC 279
Nate Daiz was seen taking breaks mid-fight during his main event clash against Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 earlier this month.
Speaking to ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, 'El Cucuy' claimed that he allowed Diaz to take those breaks while losing to the Stockton fighter at UFC 279.
As per Ferguson, it was all in good spirits, considering that it was Diaz's last UFC fight. However, he noted that he didn't go easy on his opponent:
"Did you see Nate have to take breaks? Nothing against him and stuff, but I gave him his break. So it was cool, like it was a send-off fight. I'm not saying I took it easy on him and what we prepared for, but it's a little bit more interesting when you're preparing for a certain... like a guy that you really don't know."
Watch Tony Ferguson discuss the Nate Diaz fight below (starting at the 5:04 mark):
Tony Ferguson was handed his fifth consecutive defeat by Nate Diaz in their latest octagon appearance. Meanwhile, the Stockton native bounced back after going on a two-fight losing skid.
Tony Ferguson doesn't take kindly to retirement talks by UFC commentators
Tony Ferguson has hit a rough patch in his UFC career after going on a solid 12-fight win streak. Following his loss to Diaz earlier this month, former UFC heavyweight champion and commentator Daniel Cormier suggested that it could be the end of Ferguson's promotional career.
In the same interview with ESPN MMA, 'El Cucuy' responded to Cormier's comments and asserted that he isn't retiring anytime soon. Ferguson also took aim at the former heavyweight champion for his infamous weigh-in at UFC 210 in April 2017 where 'DC' grabbed the towel to make weight.
Here's what Ferguson said:
"When I feel like I'm ready to retire, I will retire, but right now, it's a little bit different, a little bit more interesting. Like I said, 'DC' and all these commentators that just keep repeating the same over the years, because that's what they want me to do. They want the public eye to see me like that. They want to see me as a quitter and so on and so forth. I never cheated to get on the scales to retain my championship like 'DC'. Hashtag Towelgate"
Tony Ferguson is certainly in the twilight of his career. However, the former interim champion is confident he will return to winning ways following his latest loss. 'El Cucuy' plans to go right back into the gym to make a strong comeback, although it isn't clear when he plans to fight again.