'Conor McGregor poses no threat to me': Tony Ferguson ready for Irishman after becoming interim champion at UFC 216

Tony Ferguson has issued a challenge to lightweight champion Conor McGregor following his win over Kevin Lee at UFC 216 on Saturday (October 7) in Las Vegas.

Ferguson (23-3 record in MMA) defeated Lee via a third-round triangle choke to become the new interim lightweight champion and is ideally expected to face McGregor next.

"El Cucuy" proceeded to call out the Irishman in his post-fight speech but while a McGregor vs Ferguson match-up is a mouthwatering one for the hardcore fan, it could be Nate Diaz who ends up as the next opponent for the 29-year-old.

A trilogy between McGregor and Diaz is said to be the biggest money fight the UFC can make, putting Ferguson's chances of a title shot at jeopardy.

However, while Ferguson is adamant about facing McGregor next.

"I was saving my good material for him [McGregor]. Literally," Ferguson said in the post-fight press conference. "If Conor's next, no matter what, if he doesn't want to defend it, then whatever."

"I don't care. I'm here right now. I just won this belt. I'm fresh, I don't have any injuries. I'm ready to go back to the drawing board on Monday."

Ferguson also reacted to claims that McGregor might have success against him due to his counter-punching style and knockout power.

"I'll ankle-pick him. No problem. I'll set him on his a**," Ferguson added. "Everybody's the same size on the ground. Conor McGregor poses no threat to me, especially when I hit him with the jab. I'll slam him to the ground and I'll finish him with a D'Arce choke or any kind of choke of my pleasing."

"The boy is scared. He's never mentioned my name not one time. I've been here, 10 consecutive victories, I'm an interim lightweight champion but like I said, it doesn't matter who they put in front of me.

"It can be Khabib, it can be Conor, I'm going to go back to the drawing board, talk to my manager, agents and my team but the fight is with Conor. You can't run anymore."

UFC president Dana White also built up the idea of a title unification bout, stressing that any rumours of McGregor facing Diaz is nothing but internet rumours.

"Nobody has talked about Diaz," Dana White explained in the post-fight press conference. "Diaz has never been talked about. That's internet bulls**t."

"Tony is the interim champion, Conor is the champion, it's the fight that makes sense. It's the fight that has to happen."