UFC 208 goes down this weekend, but the fight a lot of fan are eagerly anticipating is the long-awaited showdown between Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov for the UFC interim lightweight title of the world.

Despite being made twice previously in the past, the negotiations this time were reportedly more drawn out with both fighters on different occasion stating that the money on the table wasn’t good enough. After a little back and forth, the fight was finally confirmed for March 4 at UFC 209 where the two will finally settling a longstanding feud.

Speaking to Submission Radio earlier this week, Ferguson revealed how the fight finally came together, and how he struggled to come to terms with what the UFC were offering him.

“It was a bullsh*t kind of talk thing that just had to happen,” Ferguson said. “I thought, you know what, we have the same kind of numbers, we have the same kind of record – as far as demographics, I don’t know. You want to talk about Instagram likes and all that other bullsh*t. I didn’t get involved in this business for that. But I felt that what was going on wasn’t fair, so I had f*cking put my foot down. I put my foot down.

“I’ve always been a guy for my company, I’ve been a 'yes man', but this is the time I thought I needed to be fair. We’re fighting for an interim belt. There’s no bullsh*t, man. There’s no bullsh*t fight. This is the one. You’ve got a nine-fight in a row record, versus eight-fight record with a padded record and a furry hat. That’s this dude."

With the contracts now signed, Ferguson has taken his sights off arguing with the UFC more gearing up towards facing Nurmagomedov. Regardless, Ferguson believes the UFC have to get used to the fact that if  they want him to fight, they will have to pay him the right money.

“Man, I’m about to fight and I’m going to take all this credibility,” Ferguson said. “I’m going to take his hype train. I’m going to derail that SOB, man. I’m tired of the talks between, ‘Oh I made the more money, this and that’. Like, man, you guys are f*cking fools, man.

“You guys have your heads floating in the clouds. I’m going to put you guys back on the ground where you belong. I’m the money-maker here. You guys run, I’m going to crush you guys. I’m the mat monster in this division and I’m the one keeping it straight – Bushido life. So even when Khabib wanted to offer up the fight money, I thought it was bullsh*t that the UFC didn’t do it. I’m like sitting here like, ‘You got fighters wanting to fork over the money for us to create these fights, let’s go company, let’s go, man’.

“I’m a company man, I’m up for the UFC, but you gotta pay your fighters, man. And I’m worth it. I show up, I bleed for this company and I make other people bleed, and that’s what the fans want. March 4, you’re going to see exactly that come UFC 209.”


Asked whether or not he was happy with his new deal, Ferguson said he wouldn’t be happy until his hand was raised on at UFC 209. He’s now 100-percent focused on getting the job done in Las Vegas and says that nothing will be able to stop him.

“Hell no, I’m not happy,” Ferguson said. “Do I look happy? Do I sound happy? F*ck no, I’m not happy. I can’t wait until I’m happy, until I smash this dude in the ground and then go after the real belt. Like I said, I don’t look past these guys, I look right through them.

“With Khabib right now – and even with past people that have always told me, ‘you worry about winning, Tony. You worry about winning, Anthony, and everything else is going to put itself over."

With Nurmagomedov stating in a recent interview he intends to break Ferguson’s face and arm on fight night, the former TUF 13 reminded the Russian who he was dealing with. Suffice to say, he answered back in typical Ferguson fashion.

“Now you done did brought up old shit,” Ferguson said. “Now you done did it brought up old shit. Now you’re going to bring me back to that one time where I was pissed off and I went and blasted the shit out of the bags. Because for one, I love holding my son. I love holding my kid and nothing is going to fucking stop me from holding my son. So you can threaten me, Khabib, but that’s not what you want to fucking do to me, because I’m not the guy to threaten.”