He’s now targeting the realms of the unparalleled in other divisions as ‘El Cucuy’ made clear his ambition is to become a “multi-divisional” champion.
But in his current bracket, the TUF 13 winner is still not guaranteed a shot at the title despite holding the best streak in the division’s history.
Champ Eddie Alvarez meets featherweight king Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 205 with No1 contender Khabib Nurmagomedov widely considered to be facing the winner of that clash.
“If I wanted the title, I would have already had it,” Ferguson said after his unanimous decision victory.
“I wanted to pick this division apart, one by one. I said to (UFC President Dana White), when I was in ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ house, he asked me, ‘Who do you want to fight next?’ I told him, ‘This is a tournament, right? Because in a tournament you’re supposed to beat the best.
“Even if you’re picking them off one by one and being a round-robin, you’ve got to fight absolutely everybody. When I get to that title, it will be my title, and it will by my fight. Not because I talked my way to get there, or because I have a big-ass following. I don’t care. I’m here for a reason. I’m here to win.
“There are two other divisions I would love to be able to go into. I made 153 pounds at the weigh-ins – I weighed in with pants on. I can go down to 145. I can kick everyone’s butt there. I can bump back up to 155, knock everybody out and finish them, and you’re damn sure I can go to 170 and do the same thing. I want to be a multi-division champ.”
Though Ferguson’s win was unanimous it was far from straightforward. Dos Anjos opened up on fire, mixing up his offense and landing heavy kicks to Ferguson’s lead leg.
But he became the aggressor in the second and although the Brazilian evened it up in the third, Ferguson smashed him with unconventional strikes to take the fourth and fifth stanzas.
