SALT LAKE CITY – Tony Ferguson is convinced there are better days ahead in his fighting career.

The former UFC interim lightweight champion feels he’s very much in his prime, and new heights will be reached starting with Saturday’s return against Bobby Green (29-14-1 MMA, 10-9-1 UFC). The two compete in a lightweight bout on the pay-per-view main card of UFC 291 at Delta Center.

Despite a five-fight losing streak with his two more recent losses coming by stoppage, the 39-year-old Ferguson (25-8 MMA, 15-6 UFC) says he is still approaching the peak of his career.

“I feel at this point in time in my life, I’m barely hitting my prime, which is crazy,” Ferguson told reporters at the UFC 291 media day on Wednesday. “One of my coaches, Juan, earlier we were doing mitts between interviews and I told him, ‘I’d be getting up early. I have to lay down. I know I have to lay down.’ And I got up and did my interview, and I was like, ‘Hey, is the room open. He went down there and said yeah. I said, ‘I’d be right there, bring your mitts.’ I didn’t even wrap up, and I hit the pads.

“I’m shocked. I’m really shocked. I’m just as sharp as I look, baby.”

Ferguson not only thinks he’s on the verge of a comeback, but he’s also not thinking about retirement. He did say he invested in a wrestling equipment manufacturing company at media day, securing his financial retirement.

However, sporting-wise, “El Cucuy” is far from done.

“Nobody else is going to tell me (to retire),” Ferguson said. “They can propose or say, ‘Oh, Tony. Whatever. He’s going to retire.’ No, motherf*ckers. F*ck you. I’m going to be done when I want to be done. But I’m also going to have to do what I have to do to get to where I want to get. Five fights and a title, baby.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.