Tony Ferguson to Josh Thomson: 'Take your ass off of Twitter and get in the gym'

Tony Ferguson went from excited about the opportunity to fight MMA veteran Josh Thomson at UFC Fight Night 71 to annoyed with his opponent’s disrespectful talk.

Ferguson (18-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) is riding a five-fight winning streak and has finished back-to-back fights against tough, respected veterans. Thomson (20-7 MMA, 3-3 UFC) has seemed anything but impressed and said that instead of higher-ranked lightweight opponents, he’s being given “no-names.”

That dismissive attitude from Thomson hasn’t sat well with Ferguson.

“I was thrilled to get the assignment at first, but he’s being a punk, man,” Ferguson told MMAjunkie Radio. “I just don’t think he’s giving me the consideration I deserve. I watched his interview that he did with you guys, and it kind of pissed me off.

“For one, his standup is not better than mine. For two, he’s saying I’m a nobody and he doesn’t know who I am. The dude knows who I am, and he’s probably going to punk out of this fight. I hope he doesn’t, but if he does, it’ll give me the No. 8 or No. 7 spot (in the lightweight rankings).”

It’s been more than Thomson’s dismissive attitude that’s set off Ferguson. Thomson has been on Twitter campaigning for fights with Ross Pearson, Gilbert Melendez, Eddie Alvarez and Donald Cerrone.

In Ferguson’s mind, it’s time for Thomson to focus on the challenge in front of him on July 15 at UFC Fight Night 71, which airs on FOX Sports 1 from Valley View Casino Center in San Diego.

“He knows who I am; he’s just being like he is,” Ferguson said. “There’s no animosity between us, like he said. There’s no reason to talk sh-t, you know? We don’t have to talk crap on this. We don’t. We really don’t. The fight is with me. He wants to go and wants to try to pick a fight with Ross Pearson and have a Twitter war. He wants to plug his nose fighting everybody else.

“I’m like, ‘Dude, you need to be training for one right now. You need to take your ass off of Twitter and get in the gym or else it’s going to come quick. I’m going to come out there with the finish, and I’m going to end your career quick.’ And I say that in the nicest way possible.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 71, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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