Tony Ferguson teases welterweight return with fight against Nick Diaz in his crosshairs

Former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson turns 37 early next year and it sounds like he’s getting tired of cutting weight to fight in the 155 pounds class. Nevertheless, El Cucuy is itching to fight later this year, even if it means he has to move to a higher weight class. Tony Ferguson was earlier scheduled to fight Dustin Poirier at UFC 254, but the fight got cancelled after Poirier pulled out due to financial issues. In a recent interview with ESPN, Tony Ferguson asked UFC to give him another fight later this year or move him to the welterweight division.

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Tony Ferguson said he has no problem in fighting welterweight Nick Diaz, who has been teasing his return for months. Tony Ferguson claimed he may look small, but he has a “frame like a 205 pounder”. He said he has been eating once a day to make weight for his lightweight fights, but in welterweight, he could have a good diet.

“I like to fight, if I don’t, I gotta bump up to 170. I hear Nick Diaz is looking for competition. I’m a 170-pounder ... UFC told me, ‘well you’re kinda small’ well I have a big frame,” Tony Ferguson added.

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Tony Ferguson has not fought since May 2020, when he was defeated by Justin Gaethje, marking the end of a 12-fight unbeaten run. Nick Diaz, on the other hand, is looking to make his return early next year, with his last fight coming in 2015 against Anderson Silva. While Nick Diaz doesn’t have an opponent for his comeback yet, Ferguson is certainly a compelling option.

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Could Tony Ferguson vs Nick Diaz materialise?

Even though Tony Ferguson and Nick Diaz will likely deliver a bloodbath, it’s hard to see the fight happening in the coming months. Dana White earlier revealed that he would try to book a fight between Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov (for the sixth time) after UFC 254 and according to many, that fight is more likely to get booked before Tony Ferguson vs Nick Diaz. Tony Ferguson vs Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the highly-anticipated fights in history and would surely rake in the big bucks for the UFC.  

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Image Source: AP, Nick Diaz Instagram