Tony Ferguson, once one of the top lightweights in the UFC, spoke candidly about his departure from the promotion following a record eight-fight losing streak. The 41-year-old admitted that many of those performances didn’t reflect his true self, citing frustrations with fight cancellations, particularly against Khabib Nurmagomedov. Ferguson explained that he never got cut from the UFC, but left by mutual agreement, noting that he often fought for the fans rather than his own motivation.
Ferguson also revealed he was most excited about a potential coaching opportunity on The Ultimate Fighter alongside Nurmagomedov. When that fell through, his enthusiasm for remaining matchups waned, ultimately contributing to his UFC exit. After leaving, he signed with the now-defunct Global Fight League and later joined Misfits Boxing, where he is scheduled to face influencer fighter Salt Papi on August 30.
Future in Boxing and MMA
Despite moving toward boxing, Ferguson hasn’t ruled out a return to MMA. He emphasized that any future fights would need to make sense for him and described his continued training and grappling sessions as a way to hone his skills. Ferguson remains unconcerned with critics who claim he is past his prime.
“I don’t give a fck what anybody thinks about me,” he said. Ferguson stressed his focus on performing at his best, whether in the boxing ring or potentially back in MMA. He remains motivated by personal standards and a desire to push himself, stating, “If it interests me, I’m going to go in there, and I’m going to do it…you better do it to the fcking best that you could.”
