More than likely the winner of this weekend's (Sat. October 7, 2017) UFC 216 pay-per-view (PPV) main event between Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee will determine who will face Conor McGregor for the lightweight championship, and according to "El Cucuy," McGregor is hoping he doesn't have to fight him.
Ferguson is the most dominant lightweight fight fans have seen at 155 pounds in quite some time, having racked up a ridiculous nine-fight win streak over the likes of Josh Thomson, Edson Barboza, Lando Vannata, and ex-champ Rafael dos Anjos. The submission specialist has used his patented D'Arce choke to finish a good chunk of those who have stood across from him inside the Octagon, but he'll be taking on a man who isn't too shabby on the ground himself.
Kevin Lee is one of the fastest growing stars in the UFC and is on a five-fight win streak after having defeated Jake Mathews, Magomed Mustafaev, Francisco Trinaldo, and most recently Michael Chiesa. Lee is also a very good trash-talker in his own right, which played a huge part in earning his notoriety in the sport.
If Lee is able to pull off a huge upset against Ferguson and earn his way to the 'money fight' in MMA today against McGregor, the build-up to the fight should prove to be quite interesting given Lee and McGregor's ability on the microphone.
Ferguson, on the other hand, is a tough customer to get by, and during a recent interview with MMA Junkie, "El Cucuy" completely ripped into McGregor and claimed the Irishman wants no part of him inside the Octagon (quotes via Bloody Elbow):
“I like blue panties,” Ferguson said. “He’s not gonna defend or vacate, he’s gonna have to fight me. There’s no insider information. He’s never spoken my name.
"I’m one of the most ruthless vatos out there. This guy, he doesn’t want a part of me. I’m not aiming at him. I don’t give two f--ks.
“I don’t want to fight someone who doesn’t want to fight me or compete against some of the best,” Ferguson said.
“When you’re saying, ‘I’ll fight anybody, anytime.’ You’re f--king full of shit. For me, I’ve been fighting anybody, any time, any weight – straight up.”
What are your thoughts on Ferguson's comments suggesting that McGregor doesn't want to fight him? Does Ferguson make any good points to suggest such a thing? Or is he simply utilizing mind game tactics on "The Notorious One" ahead of their possible meeting? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
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