CHICAGO – A new management group has taken the stress out of former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson’s return to the octagon.
In the days before a comeback fight against Donald Cerrone at UFC 238, Ferguson said his team is checking on him constantly to see what he needs. That’s a big change from his days under his previous management group.
For the majority of his career, Ferguson was represented by Paradigm Sport Management, which also reps former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor and several other major stars. The conflict between two competing interests still bothers Ferguson.
“I’m not going to talk about them too much,” Ferguson told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “It’s like a brother thing to me. I tried to give them chances. For four years, I knew this (expletive) was going down the way it was. But I needed a couple of people to tell me exactly and to convince my wife that (expletive) was going down the way it was.
“I’m not going to say they owe me money, or I owe them money, but I’m pretty sure it’s the other way around.”
A request for comment to Paradigm CEO Audie Attar wasn’t immediately returned.
Ferguson left Paradigm in April and signed with the Ballengee Group, which represents fighters in the UFC, Bellator, Invicta, and Cage Fury Fighting Championships. More importantly, the company’s lightweight roster doesn’t present any direct competitors.
“They’re taking care of a load off my plate,” Ferguson said. “They’re hitting me up, and I don’t know what to do, because I’m so used to doing so much. They’re asking very little of me, and they’re asking, ‘What can I help you with?'”
Such treatment hasn’t removed the chip from Ferguson’s shoulder, however. A meeting this past month with the UFC gave him the all-clear to continue competing after a restraining order filed by his wife in March revealed a potential mental health crisis. But it didn’t bring the level of recognition he sought when he found out his position on Saturday’s pay-per-view card, which takes place at United Center.
“I think they should have put my picture on the poster, for one,” he said. “This is disappointing to see, for two. This has been the first time I haven’t been the main event or co-main event for a very long (expletive) time. I made it a point as soon as I got in the UFC to say I’m not ever going to go backward.
“You guys can call it what you want, man. This card sucked. I’ll be straight up. I didn’t (expletive) pay attention to anybody who was on this card. I don’t give two (expletive) about the people at the top. The only people I care about right now are Conor and ‘tiramisu’ (Khabib Nurmagomedov). If those two (expletive) don’t have no balls to be able sign on the dotted line, and the only person that did was ‘Cowboy.’
“‘Cowboy’ is ride or die, man, and so am I. It’s a dying breed, and these (expletive) dudes, they’re ruining the sport. So I’m keeping this (expletive) rolling.”
The winner of Saturday’s fight could face the winner of an upcoming title unifier between current interim champ Dustin Poirier and undisputed champ Nurmagomedov, whom Ferguson has been booked to face four times before cancellations interceded.
Ferguson has verbally battled with Nurmagomedov’s longtime manager Ali Abdelaziz, and he hopes to send a message to his employers that he’s still a big draw.
“Fans, don’t stream this (expletive),” Ferguson said. “You better buy that (expletive) pay-per-view. We’ll send Ali the bill, and we’ll get that (expletive) taken care of.”
For more on UFC 238, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
