Ferguson explains why he brought lightweight title to UFC 229 weigh-in

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor may be fighting for the UFC lightweight championship at UFC 229, but according to Tony Ferguson, he is the champion.

Ferguson brought his interim lightweight belt to the UFC 229 media day on Thursday, and again for Friday's weigh-ins before his bout with Anthony Pettis on Saturday. He was stripped of the title in April after undergoing knee surgery.

The Ultimate Fighter 13 winner put the rest of the division on notice Friday, hinting that a potential title fight was on his radar.

"Whatever trophy that (Nurmagomedov and McGregor are) fighting for, this (title) has got 10 fights in a row," Ferguson told reporters, via ESPN. "This has got time, energy, sweat, and blood invested in it."

Ferguson had been scheduled to fight Nurmagomedov on four separate occasions since December 2015, most recently at UFC 223, but he was forced to withdraw from the event after injuring his knee.

The 34-year-old has worked hard to return to the Octagon and intends to put on a show against Pettis in Saturday's co-main event.

"I really enjoy what I'm doing. I'm really excited to demonstrate to you guys what I have been practicing," Ferguson said. "I've been taking these new approaches to up my game. Because I believe that you guys (reporters, fans) deserve that. Not just me, but you guys."