Former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion and MMA icon Tony Ferguson seems to be set on a return to action in 2025. Winless in his past eight fights, including being finished in five of them, fans and fighters alike have often encouraged the now 40-year old legend to finally hang up his gloves. This comes after his most recent outing at UFC on ABC 7, where he was submitted by fellow Ultimate Fighter winner Michael Chiesa in the first round.
Tony Ferguson Was Once Boogeyman of Lightweight Division
At one point in time, Tony Ferguson was widely known as one of the scariest competitors in the entire promotion. Winning his first three fights in the promotion, The Ultimate Fighter season 13 champion suffered his first loss in almost three years after dropping a unanimous decision to Michael Johnson.
This setback, however, proved to be the catalyst for what was to be known as the greatest win streak in the 155-lb class at the time, as “El Cucuy” proceeded to embark on a dominant warpath for the next seven years, winning his next twelve fights in a row. Throughout this historic win streak, Tony Ferguson defeated top contenders and fellow legends of the sport such as Edson Barboza, Rafael Dos Anjos, Donald Cerrone, and Anthony Pettis.
He had also garnered a fearsome reputation for the state of his opponents after his bouts, as many of the men he faced were left with nasty cuts, broken bones, and battered beyond recognition.
The greatest achievement that the Californian would attain, though, was getting his hands on UFC gold. At UFC 216, Tony Ferguson locked horns with Kevin Lee, a fighter who had previously gone 9-2 in his past 11 contests in the company.
For the first time since his reign of terror had begun, Ferguson looked to be in serious trouble, with the adept wrestling of “The Motown Phenom” providing a major roadblock for the elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.
That was until round three when Ferguson managed to lock up a picture-perfect triangle choke that forced Lee to tap, making “El Cucuy” the new interim lightweight title holder. Unfortunately, he didn’t hold the belt for long, as he was eventually stripped of it due to inactivity caused by injuries.
Beginning of Tony Ferguson’s Downfall
In 2020, Ferguson was slated to challenge then 155-lb king Khabib Nurmagomedov, but after travel issues caused by the surging Covid-19 pandemic sidelined “The Eagle,” the American faced Justin Gaethje for the interim strap once again, only for “The Highlight” to stop Ferguson in the fifth round due to strikes.
From here, the Californian never recorded another victory, dropping his next seven fights, including losses to Charles Oliveira, Beneil Dariush, Michael Chandler, Nate Diaz, and Paddy Pimblett. Versus Chandler in particular, Ferguson ended up on the receiving end of one of the most brutal knockouts in UFC history when the previous Bellator champion kicked “El Cucuy” square in the chin, sending the Californian crashing to the canvas.
It was the first time that Ferguson had ever lost by KO, and following the fight, there were calls throughout the MMA community begging the struggling contender to walk away.
Tony Ferguson Posts Cryptic Message about Possible Return Bout
Before he left the cage after his losing effort versus Chiesa, Ferguson appeared to, at first, be considering retirement when he was seen removing his gloves before the official decision was read. However, he instead opted to put only one glove on the ground. He then raised the other one in the air while stating, “I’m gonna keep the other one, just in case.”
It seems that is indeed going to be the case now, as Ferguson made a peculiar post on Instagram this week regarding a potential return to fighting in 2025. Cryptically, he writes, “Completely Destroyed Myself,.. To Re-Invent It. As an Artist I Aim To show Something You’ve Never Seen Before. Happy New Year Crew, 2025 in my sights- Champ, Stay Tuned & Watch The Magic Unfold. New Missions Acknowledged, # MrDestiny, Fight News Coming Soon.”
At the time of this writing, neither Tony Ferguson, nor the UFC, have made any kind of fight announcement. However, having not won a contest in five years, and after accumulating so much damage over the course of his losing streak, the world shall wait to see if Ferguson can get himself back in the win column.
