LAS VEGAS – Tony Ferguson wants his speedy recovery to serve as inspiration for anyone going through difficult times.

Ferguson, the former interim lightweight champion who meets Anthony Pettis at UFC 229, suffered a serious knee injury in April thanks to a freak accident. It forced him to withdraw from a scheduled bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223 and caused him to be stripped of his interim belt.

After surgery, Ferguson (23-3 MMA, 13-1 UFC) said he was given a one-year timeline to return to the octagon. He makes his comeback less than six months after going under the knife and will attempt to get himself back near the front of the line of the 155-pound title picture with a win over Pettis (21-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC).

The timeline for Ferguson’s recovery was far quicker than anyone could have expected. It was a difficult time, but Ferguson wants his comeback to serve as motivation and inspiration for others who are experiencing tough times.

“Anything you guys are going through, anything that’s going on in your life right now (you can get through),” Ferguson said during Wednesday’s open workouts at Park Theatre. “Listen to me: I don’t care if you (expletive) hate me, I don’t care if you (expletive) love me. Anything that you’re going through right now, know that there’s light at the end of that (expletive) tunnel. Always know that. There’s always room for growth. Allow yourself to grow, allow yourself to make mistakes. Why? Because there’s no success without failure.”

UFC 229 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Ferguson vs. Pettis co-headlines the pay-per-view main card following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Although Ferguson had his belt taken away and lost out on a significant payday due to his injury, he was in high spirits and intends on making everyone remember what he’s capable of when he fights.

“It’s Tony time,” Ferguson said.

For more on UFC 229, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.