LAS VEGAS – Tony Ferguson hopes both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor go down in Saturday’s UFC 229 headliner.

Ferguson (23-3 MMA, 13-1 UFC), the former interim UFC lightweight champion, returns to action after more than a year at UFC 229 when he meets Anthony Pettis (21-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) in the co-main event matchup. The outcome of his fight may determine who is next in line for the 155-pound belt, but “El Cucuy” has no vested interest in a winner.

In fact, Ferguson said his most desired outcome would be for Nurmagomedov (26-0 MMA, 10-0 UFC) vs. McGregor (21-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) to end in the first double-knockout in UFC history. He’s not at all a fan of how both men have conducted themselves in the lead-up to the championship contest.

“Double knockout,” Ferguson said today at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. “I’m going to keep saying it the whole time: I want these dudes to knock each other out. You talk enough (expletive) – (expletive) it, man. Go out there and squash that (expletive). This is a man’s sport. We’re trying to clean this (expletive) up and we’ve got these two knuckleheads going out there making an ass out of themselves, so whatever. You want me to cut a promo? You’re talking to the wrong guy.”

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.

Ferguson held the interim 155-pound belt before he was stripped of the title earlier this year when he went down with a knee injury that required surgery. He’s made a quick recovery, making his way back to the octagon roughly six months after he was injured.

Prior to the injury, Ferguson was supposed to fight Nurmagomedov for the undisputed title at UFC 223. A win would have likely set up a matchup with McGregor. Now that he’s back in the mix, Ferguson could potentially be in line for a matchup against the winner of the UFC 229 headliner. That’s not his current focus, though.

Ferguson said he’s 100 percent dialed in on Pettis at the moment, and he intends to keep things that way until after fight night.

“Anthony Pettis – that’s who the focus is,” Ferguson said. “That’s who the focus is always going to be. I’m not going to change my story. Everyone wants to look toward the future. I’m going to look right now. Enjoy it.”

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