Josh Thomson thinks Tony Ferguson’s style would pose issues for Conor McGregor.
Ferguson (25-8 MMA, 15-6 UFC) has been linked to McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) after claiming that he got the call to coach opposite McGregor on Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
Both Ferguson and McGregor are currently on losing skids, with “El Cucuy” dropping his past five in a row. But Thomson, who was sliced up in a unanimous decision loss to Ferguson in 2015, thinks one aspect of Ferguson’s game would give him a significant advantage over McGregor.
“I actually think Tony beats Conor, though,” Thomson said on his “Weighing In” podcast. “A lot of it comes down to the leg. He did slow down, Tony has slowed down also, but Tony’s funkiness will give Conor a little bit of a problem. The moving around, the switching the stance, the punches and kicks coming from different angles.”
He continued, “Conor McGregor in the clinch is not a great fighter. Tony in the clinch is a dirty dog. He will elbow the sh*t out of your face. He will knee you. He will try to shuck you down and guillotine you. He will do whatever he can in that clinch.”
McGregor hasn’t competed since breaking his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. The gruesome injury, coupled with inactivity, has Thomson questioning which version of McGregor would show up against Ferguson.
“I’m gonna lean more towards Tony just because of the inactivity, how’s the leg,” Thomson said. “Conor’s coming off of two losses. He’s a very confidence-driven type fighter.”
