Tony Ferguson has promised to ‘turn heads’ as he gears up for his first fight since leaving the UFC.
Ferguson, a future UFC Hall of Famer, left Dana White’s promotion before things turned sour on the back of eight successive defeats.
He is now signed to MMA’s newest promotion, the Global Fight League (GFL), and claims his debut fight against Dillon Danis will take place on May 11.
Interestingly, Danis, a submissions specialist who renowned for his ties with Conor McGregor, is scheduled to fight KSI in a boxing match on March 29.
Ferguson revealed that he too was in negotiations to box KSI after leaving the UFC, but admitted that discussions with his team helped him decide MMA was the perfect place to remain for the meantime.
“We want to turn some heads,” Ferguson told Ariel Helwani. “We want to make sure that everything is good.
“And we’re tired of f***ing losing. Like it’s dub season all day from here on out. When I left the UFC, I hate to say, I wanted to fight another time.
“But obviously, even me, I was kind of like: ‘Okay, I have to excuse myself, guys, but I don’t want to leave on bad terms’.
“And so talking to Dana [White], talking to Hunter [Campbell], and then coming to terms with it.
“We all agreed that it was in the best interest for me to move on. Honestly, it was awesome.
“I want to go and I want to play different sports. I want to go and I want to experience new things, new trophies, new rings, new f***ing championships.”
‘El Cucuy’ last won an MMA bout in June 2019 after stopping Donald Cerrone via doctor’s stoppage at UFC 238.
He then lost an interim lightweight title bout to Justin Gaethje, before suffering consecutive unanimous decision defeats to Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush.
It was the beginning of the end for Ferguson when he was brutally knocked out by Michael Chandler with a front kick at UFC 274 in May 2022.
Following that, the Californian was submitted by Nate Diaz, before the UFC started putting him in the Octagon with up-and-comers.
However, things didn’t change as Ferguson suffered three defeats in a row to King Green, Paddy Pimblett and Michael Chiesa, before agreeing with his promotion that it was time to move on.
The 41-year-old believes his move away from the UFC will help him get back to winning ways.
“I want to keep adding to my resume,” Ferguson added. “And we thought it was necessary to [leave] for me to start and grow, not only as an athlete, but as a man.
“This sport has been built on the backs of very strong men and women, all the way from the fighters, all the way up to the promoter.
“And I have been knee deep in most of the f***ing changes that have been made in the sport, alongside some of my other classmates.
“You can’t be afraid of change. Macho Man said: ‘When you shake things up, the cream always rises to the top. And here we are with GFL.”
The GFL have signed a vast array of MMA icons and former UFC champions to their roster.
They have announced former rivals Chris Weidman and Luke Rockhold will have it out in a rematch 10 years in the making from their famous UFC bout.
Meanwhile, 47-year-old Yoel Romero will take on Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua – who lost his light heavyweight title to Jon Jones in 2011 – and Fabricio Werdum fights Frank Mir.
Danis stepped in to replace former Chelsea defender Wayne Bridge to fight KSI as part of the latte’s Misfits Boxing promotion’s X Series 21.
KSI was originally meant to fight Bridge, but withdrew from the fight after the former made crude comments about his opponent’s past feud with John Terry.
