After UFC 223 hoopla, Tony Ferguson says he's 'only legitimate lightweight champion left'

Tony Ferguson has kept relatively quiet during one of the most chaotic UFC fight weeks in history. It might be because he kickstarted it all with his withdrawal from tonight’s UFC 223 main event.

Although it seems like a lifetime ago, Ferguson (23-3 MMA, 13-1 UFC) suffered a knee injury, which led to a fourth fight cancellation with rival Khabib Nurmagomedov (25-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC). The UFC interim lightweight champ was replaced by Max Holloway (19-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) on just six days’ notice, but the UFC featherweight champ was ruled off the card on weigh-in day when the New York State Athletic Commission deemed him unfit to compete.

Following a mad scramble to find a last-minute replacement, Al Iaquinta (13-3-1 MMA, 8-2 UFC) nows fight Nurmagomedov in tonight’s UFC 223 pay-per-view headliner at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Iaquinta did not make the 155-pound limit on the nose, though, so the bout will only represent a title fight for Nurmagomedov.

Then there’s everything that happened with UFC lightweight champ Conor McGregor (21-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC). “The Notorious” is facing multiple charges after a UFC 223 media day attack on UFC fighter buses, and his fighting future is currently uncertain. Because of that, Ferguson, who may or may not still be the UFC’s interim 155-pound titleholder, said he should be recognized as the real champion (via Twitter):

UFC President Dana White has said Ferguson’s interim belt will “go away” once the UFC 223 main event begins. That was before Holloway’s withdrawal from UFC 223, though.

It remains to be seen how the promotion plans to handle “El Cucuy” going forward, but it may not be an issue for a while; Ferguson is facing a potential surgery and several months of rehabilitation for the LCL tear that forced him out of UFC 223.

For more on UFC 223, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.