Could Conor McGregor’s return opponent be none other than Tony Ferguson?
Earlier this week, McGregor revealed that he had been asked to be a coach on the upcoming 31st season of The Ultimate Fighter — and indicated that he liked the idea. McGregor previously served as a coach on the reality fighting series, which launched in 2005, headlining season 22 against Urijah Faber.
Notably, the coaches did not fight at the end of that season. That might not be the case this time around, however. Ferguson, meanwhile, has revealed that he has been approached about coaching on TUF, opposite McGregor.
“I’ve Been Asked To Coach On TUF Against Ol’e Fathead, or Anyone Of My Choosing If That Cake-Eatin’ Sum’Bish’ Wouldn’t Show *mack* What A Vagina. I’m Always Ready Anytime Anywhere,.. I Choose You McKnacker. [Conor McGregor] See Ewe Soon,” Ferguson wrote on social media, in a post littered with emojis and expletives that only Tony Ferguson could write.
Ferguson, who has never served as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter, appeared on the show in season 13, winning the welterweight tournament. He immediately dropped to lightweight, and has been a staple of the division ever since, winning an interim title against Kevin Lee in 2017. Ferguson was later stripped of that belt due to injury, never getting the chance to unify the titles.
Notably, a proposed fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov, a dream fight for many fans, fell through on five separate occasions. Ferguson has long called for a fight with McGregor as well, taunting the sport’s biggest star — but no pairing ever materialized.
Ferguson has struggled in recent years, posting an 0-5 record dating back to 2020. In that span, he’s lost fights against Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, Beneil Dariush, Michael Chandler, and most recently, Nate Diaz. Ferguson was stopped in three of those bouts, with the ref waving things off while he was still standing in a beatdown at the hands of Gaethje. A stunning front kick KO ended his night against Chandler, while Diaz submitted the former interim champ.
