UFC 291 is a fight for the people
After each stepping into the Octagon 21 times in their UFC careers, Tony Ferguson and Bobby Green are finally entering the cage against one another.
The Southern California fan favorites, with a combined 22 years in the UFC, will make the walk for what should be an entertaining lightweight bout on the UFC 291 main card tonight in Salt Lake City. The 155-pound bout shouldn't lack for action, nor has it lacked for colorful pre-fight commentary.
Ferguson (26-8) enters on a five-fight losing streak, yet says he feels he's just entering his prime.
“Man, you get burned out. It took a full pandemic for me to lose my 12-fight winning streak,” the 39-yearold Costa Mesa resident said Wednesday at UFC 291 media day. “I'm not mad at it. But I had to fire some coaches because I was trying to get them back and they weren't good for me. It was toxic. It was toxic to me and I didn't realize it.
“What I'll say is that my
focus is back.”
Green (29-14-1, 1 NC) is winless in his past three fights. He is coming off a no-contest decision in April after an accidental clash of heads in the opening round left Jared Gordon unable to continue. He says he admires Ferguson for his résumé: “Like, man, like I appreciate the wars. All the guys he fought, a bunch of tough guys, you know? That's the true road to go down. And you got to respect that as a warrior.”
And granted, the former interim champion's skid has come against five of the UFC's best: Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, Beneil Dariush, Michael Chandler and, in a welterweight bout in September, Nate Diaz.
As for tonight, Green, 36, said it was Ferguson who cast the first stone. And he had no choice but to respond and accept.
“He started saying my name. I never said his name,” the Fontana resident said in an exclusive interview Wednesday. “It's the code. You know, just what comes with the code. You have to answer a callout. You can't back down.”
Known for being an unpredictable fighter, Ferguson on Wednesday said he did bring up Green's name because he wanted, for once in his career, to dictate the terms.
As for whether they're just slinging bravado or actually developing disdain for each other, Ferguson went so far as to question Green's courage after they had been cordial for much of their careers.
“I just saw him in the lobby not too long ago,” Ferguson said. “Mr. Flashy. It's cool, it's your thing. I get you. But when he saw me, he looked like he saw the fourth horseman of death. It was kind of ... crazy.”
Between his age and his losing streak, which he referred to as a “big hiccup,”
Ferguson can ill afford another defeat. Even though he is still a name opponent and a draw, another setback could result in UFC letting him go and would undoubtedly bring even more calls for him to call it a career.
Good luck saying to his face, though.
“Nobody else is going to tell me (to retire). They can propose or say, `Oh, Tony is going to whatever, he's going to retire.'” Ferguson said, followed by some profanities. “I'm going to be done when I want to be done. But I'm also going to have to do what I have to do to get to where I want to get. Five fights and a title, baby.”
Regarded as one of the top strikers in the division, Green refuses to make predictions or look beyond tonight. And no matter how many hiccups Ferguson has had, Green isn't taking him lightly.
“Everybody's gonna count him out. I don't want to count on anything else than the top of the top and that's what comes with that,” Green said. “So you can't really judge every fight.
“Styles make fights, man. And this fight is for the people.”