Tony Ferguson is one of the UFC’s greatest fighters, yet he has lost eight bouts in a row.
His UFC career has been a real game of two halves and, at 40 years old, retirement seems to be right around the corner.
‘El Cucuy’ had his moments but was a shadow of his former self in his loss to Paddy Pimblett last yearGetty
After losing his fourth bout under Dana White’s promotion in 2012, ‘El Cucuy’ went on a 12-fight win streak, earning interim lightweight championship status along the way.
His win streak culminated with back-to-back victories over Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone, when Ferguson was really in the form of his career.
Pettis was left so bloodied up after his loss to Ferguson in October 2018, it looked like he had just crawled out of a car wreck.
‘Cowboy’ was in similar condition after his defeat to Ferguson eight months later, after the doctor ruled that Cerrone could not see out of his right eye and the fight was stopped.
But that would ultimately be Ferguson’s last win in the UFC to date, as he proceeded to lose all eight of his subsequent bouts.
When asked if he was going to fight again by fellow MMA veteran Demetrious Johnson, Ferguson confirmed he wasn’t going anywhere.
He said: “We’re going to take the rest of this season and figure some things out and we’re coming back hard in either January or February.
“No, f*** no, I’m not retired. I’m too old to retire. I’m 40 years old, I’m halfway to 80, I’ve been competing since I was five years old in multiple sports.
“It’s not like I don’t know anything else, I do. I’m still able to compete. When somebody can run a sprint faster than me, then maybe I’ll start to consider it.”
Ferguson has fought against some of the biggest stars in the UFC since, including Charles Oliveira, Michael Chandler and Nate Diaz.
Ferguson was knocked out cold by Michael Chandler and sent to hospital as a resultGetty Images – Getty
He was brutally knocked out by Chandler at UFC 274 in May 2022, which marked his fourth consecutive loss.
In December 2023, he also lost to Liverpool’s Paddy Pimblett, who is 11 years his junior, after three rounds at UFC 296.
Then, in August, he was submitted by Michael Chiesa in the first round of their bout at UFC Abu Dhabi.
Chiesa, who was coming off a three-fight losing streak, dominated Ferguson and made easy work out of him, securing the submission victory just four minutes into the first round.
The UFC was heavily criticised by MMA fans for allowing Ferguson, the most senior fighter on the card that night, to even take the fight.
“What I really need is to find that coaching and discipline around other people and be uncomfortable in practice so that we’re not miserable in the fight,” Ferguson added.
“I’ve approached a couple of different coaches. Firas Zahabi is one of the coaches I’ve always admired because he was GSP’s [Georges St-Pieree’s] coach and GSP was always my target.
Goggins put Ferguson through the wringer before his loss at UFC 296Getty
“My next approach, actually, was to follow him on Instagram and then send him a message.
“I’m not in any rush for anything; I’m coaching my son’s football league and the way I’m moving is pretty good, man.
“So instead of getting excited and jumping at anything I want, I make the phone call to Dana [White] and tell him, ‘Look, I’m looking for a fight’, and they give me one.”
Former Navy SEAL and ultramarathon runner David Goggins was in Ferguson’s corner at UFC 296 against Pimblett.
However, the former interim lightweight champion ended up losing every round on the judges’ scorecards.
MMA fans around the world still love and admire ‘El Cucuy’ for his overall success in the octagon, but another fight in the UFC may prove to be a step too far for the UFC veteran.
