Josh Thomson and John McCarthy react to a potential Conor McGregor versus Tony Ferguson fight and TUF season
John McCarthy and Josh Thomson recently discussed the rumored TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) season and potential fight between Conor McGregor and Tony Ferguson.
McGregor recently claimed that he'd been offered a coaching role on the TUF reality show's upcoming season. Ferguson subsequently suggested that he's also been given the offer to coach TUF and that he's willing to face arch-nemesis Khabib Nurmagomedov or McGregor.
In the latest edition of the Weighing In podcast, former MMA referee John McCarthy and former UFC lightweight Josh Thomson addressed the McGregor-Ferguson TUF rumors. They seemingly agreed that although both fighters have slowed down, the buildup and trash talk in the McGregor-Ferguson TUF season would be incredible.
Additionally, McCarthy opined that Conor McGregor boasts greater striking prowess, whereas Tony Ferguson has better grappling and utilizes several unorthodox techniques. He picked McGregor to defeat 'El Cucuy.'
Nevertheless, he indicated that the Irishman's multi-million-dollar fortune could hurt him as he probably isn't as motivated to train seriously and fight anymore:
"I don't think Conor truly wants to fight anymore. He can sit there and say what he wants. But he's making big money. It's not like money's ever a problem... When you don't have that 100 percent focus, things don't go well for you."
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Alluding to Ferguson's current five-fight losing streak, McCarthy further opined that McGregor would benefit more by fighting someone like Michael Chandler instead. McCarthy and Thomson also emphasized that McGregor's return from his gruesome leg injury might adversely affect his confidence and fighting abilities.
Josh Thomson gave Conor McGregor the advantage in long-range striking and Tony Ferguson the edge in the grappling and clinch departments. Picking Ferguson to defeat 'The Notorious,' Thomson said:
"I would agree with you that he [McGregor] gets more spark off the Michael Chandler thing, but I also think that they [the UFC] are really trying to get him [McGregor] a win. And I actually think Tony beats Conor, though... A lot of it comes down to the [injured] leg [of McGregor]."
Watch McCarthy and Thomson discuss the topic at 53:20 in the video below:
Conor McGregor has his sights set on reclaiming UFC gold
UFC megastar Conor McGregor's most recent fight was a first-round TKO loss against Dustin Poirier in a lightweight matchup in July 2021. The former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion suffered a horrific leg injury during the fight.
In the ensuing months, McGregor maintained that he'll return stronger than ever.
Conor McGregor initially expressed interest in pursuing UFC lightweight gold upon returning. However, he appears to have eventually shifted focus to the UFC welterweight title. While his comeback opponent hasn't been officially announced yet, it's believed that his comeback fight could be contested at welterweight this year.