Abu Dhabi – UFC welterweight Tony Ferguson isn’t ready to call it quits after taking on Michael Chiesa at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
UFC CEO Dana White has said, for the last couple of Ferguson bouts, that he hopes the longtime UFC veteran will call it a career following the fight. Ferguson doesn’t agree.
“Well we want Dana to do a lot of sh*t last for him too so I mean we can’t discredit that one either,” Ferguson told reporters on Wednesday.
“I’m being real with it. At 170 pounds I’m not killing myself to get to 155. I do feel fresher. 155 pounds is closer to my high school wrestling weight 152 pounds. So you guys do the math. I’m 40-f*cking-years-old. I’ve been competing in this sport for a very long time.”
Ferguson (25-10) believes the move to welterweight will lengthen his career at this point.
“I don’t feel like this is going to be my last fight. I have to do some extraordinary sh*t is what I’m planning to do. 170 pounds fits me right,” he said.
“This is not a fight last or whatever the f*ck how everybody wants to see it. I feel so f*cking fresh. It’s a completely different look. I feel rejuvenated I feel awesome. My family and myself are doing amazing.”
Feeling fresher is apparent as Ferguson has said he went back to sparring for this fight quoting 120 rounds during camp. Chiesa, during his media day scrum, doubted that Ferguson stopped sparring, and wasn’t impressed by the 120 round figure.
“Haters will always discredit any kind of work that you give in, Every Thursday and every Saturday I would round up at least 12 rounds of good sparring,” he said.
“So Chiesa can kiss my ass. I got the numbers to prove it. F*ck him.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Tony Ferguson above. He takes on Michael Chiesa at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
