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Tony Ferguson is not happy about the UFC offering newcomer Michael Chandler more money than him. Tony Ferguson has been with UFC for close to a decade now and spent eight years being undefeated inside the octagon before Justin Gaethje trumped him to capture the Interim Lightweight Championship.
Since then, Tony Ferguson was originally booked to fight Dustin Poirier in the co-main event of UFC 254 before talks fell through since UFC refused to offer Poirier the amount he asked for.
With Khabib Nurmagomedov seemingly vacating the Lightweight Championship, it's all up for grabs and the four men who could be competing for the title are Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson, Conor McGregor, and Dustin Poirier.
Tony Ferguson spoke to Submission Radio (H/T Thebodylockmma) and expressed his frustration over UFC offering his opponents more money than him:
“Don’t pay somebody more than me. Don’t pay anybody more than me,” Ferguson said. “If you’re going to pay Conor more than me, I understand that. But don’t pay anybody fucking more than me in this division, especially a new guy [Chandler].
Tony Ferguson expressed that he has earned the right to get paid better:
“I’ve earned this right. I’ve started from the mailroom all the way to the fucking beginning. I earned my right through Fuel TV, Spike TV, FOX, ESPN, all the switches between Reebok and losing sponsors — who’s their main fucking guy that stays here and has been the same fucking guy that started with cringe and became an asshole and then fucking became cool and then I’m a genius.”
Why has Tony Ferguson been underpaid for his status in the UFC?
While it's a bit surprising that a UFC veteran like Tony Ferguson hasn't been getting paid better, it ultimately comes down to his management team and ability to negotiate with UFC.
Tony Ferguson changed his management teams, but it seems as though he's still unhappy with what he's being offered. It's understandable, especially since he has been a title contender for a long time now.
