Tony Ferguson has questioned whether Conor McGregor actually admires him after accusing the UFC star of copying things he does.
UFC rivals Ferguson and McGregor used to be managed by the same company, Paradigm Sports, until Ferguson left the label in 2019. McGregor has recently mocked Ferguson on Twitter after his knockout loss to Michael Chandler at UFC 274.
Ferguson has his own MMA academy called 'Snapdown City Academy' in Costa Mesa, California. McGregor also has a gym in the state, preparing at the facility before his trilogy with Dustin Poirier last year in which he suffered a freak leg break.
McGregor has now been accused of copying Ferguson by setting up a gym in California, as 'El Cucuy' said on The MMA Hour : "I would love to fight Conor if he still has his academy by my spot because that's what he ended up doing. He ended up opening up an academy right near me.
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"My neighbours come up to me and they're like, 'Hey, do you know that Conor is right next to you?' I cracked up because that's how he is. The dude is so unhappy that he has to copy everybody's stuff to find happiness and maybe he's doing it on purpose. Maybe it's because he admires me and what I do."
"Regardless of what is, he would even ride my bike trail that I used for my run. That management used to know a lot about me, it was because I trusted them. So Conor can say what he wants to say, he's just really unhappy with himself."
Ferguson ended his time with Paradigm Sports on bad terms, claiming the management label owe him $500,000. But McGregor has claimed Ferguson only has himself to blame, writing after his recent loss: "Tony Ferguson, who changes representation around four times a year, is saying it’s someone else fault he is in the position he is in.
"How many bridges do you burn before you look yourself in the mirror and say, 'Maybe it’s me that’s the issue'? God bless you pal, I’ll say a prayer."
McGregor and Ferguson were at the top of the lightweight division several years ago, but are now both ranked outside of the top five. A potential fight between them is unlikely to happen, as McGregor wants to fight at welterweight in his octagon return whilst Ferguson is still focused on becoming a lightweight champion.
