HomeNEWS & RESULTSMMA NEWSDAILY NEWS DIGESTSATURDAY NEWS DIGEST 9/30: Ferguson mocks Kevin Lee's #7 ranking, Werdum apologizes for homophobic slur, Lee not UFC's first choice
SATURDAY NEWS DIGEST 9/30: Ferguson mocks Kevin Lee's #7 ranking, Werdum apologizes for homophobic slur, Lee not UFC's first choice
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - NOVEMBER 19: Kevin Lee stands in the Octagon before his lightweight bout against Magomed Mustafaev during the UFC Fight Night at the SSE Arena on November 19, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Tony Ferguson mocks Kevin Lee's #7 ranking
Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee each spoke on a joint media conference call on Thursday. Ferguson attacked Lee's inexperience in fighting the top contenders in the division saying he, "ran out of asses to kick" so he "had to settle for a fu*king #7."
Lee, for his part defended himself by attacking the rankings themselves.
"I don't see why even other fighters are putting stock in the rankings. Them rankings, they don't matter. Y'all make the rankings. I don't give a fu*k about them rankings. The only thing everybody above us in this division got on me is some years, is some time. That's it. So, when you look at the rankings, they don't really matter. You look at some of these dudes who are in the top 25, top 30, they're tough enough, they would beat any of the guys in the top 5.
"They got Nate Diaz, who's got ten, eleven losses, in the top 5. It don't make sense. They've got Justin Gaethje, who's only got one fight against – apparently beating Mike Johnson in this game is really something, because you've got Khabib up there at #1 and he doesn't fight, you've got Gaethje with one fightup above me. The rankings don't even mean sh*t. So you can say I'm #7. You can say whatever you want to say. I say I'm #1 and it's going to be proven on October 7."
Grocke's Point of View: I have to agree with Lee. The rankings are subjective, but the only reason he's getting the fight is because Khabib Nurmagomedov won't be ready until December and the UFC just couldn't wait for him.
Fabricio Werdum apologizes for homophobic slur
Werdum tweeted out an apology for using a homophobic slur towards Tony Ferguson at a UFC media lunch promoting their upcoming fights on Thursday. The two were involved in an altercation when Ferguson didn't like how Werdum kept talking over him. Werdum took exception to the way Ferguson was talking to him and tempers flared.
Werdum said in Spanish, "Shut your mouth, you fu*king fag**t. Don't talk to me like that, that's not how it works. You can talk like that to your division but with you can't talk like that fag**t."
Werdum's tweet reads: Maricon is common word in the Spanish culture and I do not mean to offend anyone in the LBG community and if I did I'm apologetic #heeyy
Kevin Lee not UFC's first choice
Kevin Lee was not the UFC's first choice of opponent to face Tony Ferguson for the featherweight interim title at UFC 216. UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby revealed on the UFC's Watch List series that the fight was first offered to Khabib Nurmagomedov. Only after Khabib declining the fight did they turn to Kevin Lee.
When speaking to Jon Anik, Shelby said, "Just to clear things up, a fight was offered to Nurmagomedov on November 4, and at that point, we were trying to put cards together toward the end of the year. I was informed that Nurmagomedov could not make that date, and he probably wouldn't be able to fight until at least December, so that left Tony without a dance partner."
Because the UFC couldn't wait for Khabib, Kevin Lee got the opportunity.
"We backed Tony up, and Kevin Lee was there. Look at his resume as of late. He's a phenomenal fighter. He's doing fantastic. Right now, I think he's the hottest thing in the division."
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