Tony Ferguson proclaims he could beat Conor McGregor in the cage or the boxing ring

Tony Ferguson has long been confident that he could defeat former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor in the UFC’s Octagon. Speaking on Twitter late on Tuesday night, however, El Cucuy proclaimed that he could also beat the Irish striker in the boxing ring.

https://twitter.com/TonyFergusonXT/status/1065100398363521024

“I feel I do my best against ‘Southpaws,'” Ferguson said on Twitter (edited for clarity). “Most of my finishes are against them with style points. I feel if I were to fight [Conor McGregor] in a cage or boxing match my athleticism and conditioning would be too much for the Irishman & he would easily break in a few rounds.”

Conor McGregor, who is known for his expert control of distance and ferocious power, has actually competed in boxing before, battling undefeated legend Floyd Mayweather Jr in the ring in August of 2017. McGregor lost this fight by 10th-round TKO.

Tony Ferguson has not competed in the boxing ring, but has shown that his striking is not be underestimated either.

While Ferguson seems to be interested in massive lightweight contender showdown with Conor McGregor, he’s likely got an even bigger challenge on his calendar. At this stage, he has more than earned a shot at undefeated UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, and UFC President Dana White seems interested in booking the fight next. 

“As a fight fan, you’ve got to go with Tony,” White said recently. “Tony had the belt, tweaked his knee, got stripped, this fight happens — Tony never lost the [interim] belt in a fight. Neither did Conor, but Conor got the opportunity to actually fight [Nurmagomedov]. I think Tony deserves the next shot.”

Before any of that happens, of course, Khabib Nurmagomedov will have to accept his punishment from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, having been involved in an unfortunate, post-fight brawl after his UFC 229 defeat of McGregor.

Do you think Tony Ferguson can hang with Conor McGregor in the cage and the boxing ring?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 11/21/2018.