Former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson speaks on his time during his career run and his heartnreak at having to leave the UFC.
“El Cucuy” had an impressive run in the earlier days of his career. The fighter went on a 12-fight win streak from 2013 to 2019, but his winning streak came to an end when he suffered a KO loss to Justin Gaethje. After that, Ferguson faced eight straight losses and has struggled to regain his former success. His last appearance was at UFC Abu Dhabi, marking his final fight under the UFC banner but the fighter had no plans to retire.
Despite his losses, Ferguson has no plans of retiring and is set to make his return under the GFL banner in May. In a sit-down interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, he discussed his time in the octagon and the emotional turmoil he experienced during his losing streak and when he had to leave.
“My focus is always to what? Keep the sport moving,” Ferguson said Monday on The Ariel Helwani Show. “Didn’t I always say that? I’ve always stayed true to my word. If I can demonstrate on May 11 that a guy who had a 12-fight win streak, then an eight-fight losing streak, can come back, steal the show, win every single fight, and look like a completely different fighter, that’s beyond legendary. It’s never been done—and I love doing things that have never been done.”
During his time in the UFC, Ferguson briefly considered pursuing other sports and discussed it with his team. Fortunately, he was offered a boxing opportunity to face Misfits Boxing owner KSI.
“I started talking to my team, talking to my dad — he’s in my corner now— and I got a couple of other people that are good advisers for me, and we’re like, ‘Hey, you know what? Let’s finish up mixed martial arts. Let’s get this big bone, and then we can worry about boxing later,'” Ferguson said. “It wasn’t like we said no [to KSI]. But, we started focusing more toward MMA, and then obviously KSI went and I guess found a different opponent, because by then there was the [GFL] draft. That was when this s*** was all going down.
“Then when the draft happened and everything, it was kind of like, ‘OK yeah, we’re certain that this is the direction where we want to go.’ We want to turn some heads. 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, everything was, I hate to say, I wanted to fight another time,” he continued, “but obviously, even me, I was like, ‘OK, I have to excuse myself, guys, but I don’t want to leave on bad terms.’
“Talking to [UFC CEO] Dana [White], talking to [UFC CBO] Hunter [Campbell], actually, and then coming to terms with it. It was like we all agreed that it was the best interest for me to move on. Honestly, it was awesome.”
Ferguson is excited about his new opportunity and is ready to contribute as a team player in his new venture. Despite his abrupt dismissal from the UFC, he remains content with his career there and is hopeful about creating a new legacy with GFL.
“I have to tell you, I packed up all my UFC stuff,” Ferguson said. “I put it in bags—it was the hardest thing I had to do. It took me a couple of days to adjust. I packed everything into big storage bags and was ready to move on. It was almost like when I went on The Ultimate Fighter [in 2011] with the purpose of winning a big check to help my family out, especially my grandma.
“I ended up getting a UFC contract. This entire process has never been a disappointment. It’s been a learning experience—how I go about my business, how I treat my close circle, and how I plan for the future. Right now, it’s amazing that there’s an opportunity for so many others to display their skills with GFL. It’s a new chapter, a new jersey, a new moment. It’s a relief to be able to move on. No bad blood anywhere.”
“I think this is a great sport,” he continued. “I believe that, one day, it will be in the Olympics. But for now, on May 11, I’ll be out there making sure everyone understands we’re not messing around. We’re getting paid right. We have teams. This is like wrestling—a sport that’s individual but still has a team aspect. You get a pin, you get six points. This is similar to that type of collegiate atmosphere. We’re breaking new ground.”
Tony Ferguson is set to make his GFL debut on May 11, where he will face Dillon Danis.
