Here’s Why Tony Ferguson vs Conor McGregor Hasn’t Happened Yet

Tony Ferguson is regarded as a veteran in the world of mixed martial arts. ‘El Cucuy’ has been competing for the last 13 years, since his debut in 2008. Now, he is set to take on another challenge in the form of Beneil Dariush at UFC 262 this weekend.

Ferguson fought almost every fighter while rising in the Lightweight division, but never got his hands on the biggest name in the game. Despite being the Interim champion, Ferguson has never entered the octagon with former Lightweight champion, Conor McGregor.

The duo exchanged some trash talk but never came close to actually signing a fight agreement. The primary reason behind it is McGregor’s inactivity in the Lightweight division.

‘The Notorious’ started as a Featherweight when he joined the UFC in 2013 and fought seven-time, including two title fights. After successfully capturing the Featherweight title, ‘The Notorious’ fought twice at the Welterweight. Soon making a transition to 155lbs to full fill his dream of becoming the first UFC double champion.

He faced Eddie Alvarez and delivered a master class performance, capturing two titles simultaneously. Conor McGregor fought two more times in the Lightweight and lost to both his opponents, making a total of three fights in the 155lbs division.

The management never made this fight

Another reason for the non-occurrence of the fight was that ‘El Cucuy’ and ‘The Notorious’ fell under the same Paradigm Sports management. Ferguson thinks that the management kept ‘The Notorious’ safe and manipulated the system by focusing on the Irishman.

He claims that the management owes him at least half a million dollars, as they ignored him and took the money fights over ‘El Cucuy’. As a result, Ferguson never made it to his big payday.

Will Conor McGregor ever fight Tony Ferguson?

Tony Ferguson is 37 years old and has past his prime, but he remains the fifth Lightweight in the UFC rankings. A win over his next opponent, Beneil Dariush, will help him rise in the rankings and a couple of more wins may provide him his last title shot.

On the other hand, Michael Chandler has promised Conor McGregor a title shot after his win over Charles Oliveira. If Chandler somehow defeats Oliveira and losses to McGregor, this may open up opportunities for a potential match between Ferguson and ‘The Notorious’. Fans can only hope and pray that the once-in-a-lifetime experience comes true.

Also read: ‘We Could Do Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic’- Dana White Could Provide UFC With Blockbuster Fight

Do you think Tony Ferguson will meet Conor McGregor before his retirement?