Justin Gaethje told Tony Ferguson ‘being an a****** gets you nowhere’ after the latter initially pushed his opponent away from a post-fight embrace following their UFC 249 clash.
Gaethje provided a thrilling performance at an empty Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Florida to become the new interim lightweight champion - and set up a clash with outright champion Khabib Nurmagomedov later this year.
Ferguson absorbed serious damage as he fell to his first defeat in eight years with referee Herb Dean halting the contest in the fifth and final round.
Frustrated with the decision to stop the contest, he initially pushed Gaethje away when his opponent attempted to embrace him post-fight.
Ringside microphones picked up Gaethje’s comments as he walked away to celebrate.
But once an understandably emotional Ferguson had calmed down, the two hugged inside the octagon with 'El Cucuy' going onto pay tribute to the better man on the night.
“I would rather have been finished than stopped. Props to Justin, though, thanks for signing on the dotted line.
“I want to tell my kid and my wife and my family at home that I am OK.”
