Tony Ferguson has battled a who’s who of MMA’s elite throughout his illustrious career.
From Nate Diaz and Paddy Pimblett to Justin Gaethje and Rafael dos Anjos, ‘El Cucuy’ has tested his mettle against some of the UFC‘s finest.
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Ferguson traded blows with Diaz in the main event of UFC 279 in 2022Credit: Getty
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He also squared off with Liverpool’s MMA star Pimblett in his penultimate UFC bout in December 2023Credit: Getty
Yet none of these formidable opponents quite compares to the unique challenge once posed by Edson Barboza.
With Ferguson set to make his return to combat sports under the Misfits Boxing banner on August 30 at the age of 41, the MMA fraternity has been granted the chance to reflect on the legendary days of a fighter many fans idolise.
“Edson Barboza was probably the one I prepared for the hardest, and it was the coolest,” Ferguson told talkSPORT in London ahead of his boxing debut.
“He was the most fun, and he was a tough opponent.”
Ferguson met Barboza in December 2015 on a card made for the season 22 finale of The Ultimate Fighter, a reality TV show ‘El Cucuy’ had won four years prior under the guidance of Brock Lesnar.
He was expected to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov on the night, but the latter pulled out two months before with a rib injury.
“That dude could hit,” Ferguson added, speaking on his Fight of the Night with Barboza.
“It was funny, like the spinning back kick, I can’t tell you how many thousands of sit-ups I did, knowing he was going to f***ing kick me in the gut.
“He did, and I ate it like a f***ing sandwich. God, I got you.”
After a bloody nip-and-tuck affair, Ferguson eventually got the better of his Brazilian opponent, submitting ‘Junior’ with a D’Arce choke in the second round.
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Ferguson caught Barboze in a D’Arce coke midway through round two and his opponent tapped immediatelyCredit: Getty Images – Getty
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‘El Cucuy’ has shared the octagon with a who’s who of MMA starsCredit: Getty
The bout marked his seventh successive victory in Dana White‘s promotion, and Ferguson went on to win his next five, which included winning the interim lightweight strap against Kevin Lee.
Momentum quickly shifted, however, when the Californian lost to Gaethje at UFC 249 in May 2020.
‘El Cucuy’ was stopped in the fifth round of his interim lightweight title bout with Gaethje and ended his UFC career on a seven-fight losing skid.
He would go on to lock horns with the likes of Charles Oliveira, Michael Chandler, Diaz, and Pimblett, before calling it quits on his iconic spell at MMA’s summit.
Ferguson also mentioned Brock Jardin, whom he defeated in 2010 to enter The Ultimate Fighter, as another one of his toughest tests.
Who is Tony Ferguson fighting next?
Now, Ferguson is making his return to combat sports and fights social media influencer Salt Papi for the interim middleweight title at Misfits 22 on August 30.
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Ferguson makes his fighting return at Misfits 22 in Manchester on August 30Credit: Getty
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He takes on 31-year-old TikTok star Salt PapiCredit: Getty
The boxing card also witnesses a collision of two ex-UFC stars in Darren Till and Luke Rockhold, who meet in the main event, while Joey Essex is also set for his debut in the squared circle against Portuguese influencer Numeiro.
Ferguson had originally signed to fight 2-0 MMA fighter Dillon Danis in the Global Fight League (GFL) for what would’ve been his first fight since leaving the UFC.
But when the GFL cancelled their inaugural event in April, the scheduled bout was subsequently scrapped.
‘El Cucuy’ also had plans to face Misfits owner and social media megastar KSI in the ring, but that bout never came to fruition.
Danis also features on the Misfits 22 card in Manchester as he prepares to square off with Brit Warren Spencer.
The pair will meet in the promotion’s first-ever MMA fight to determine the inaugural light heavyweight champion.
Tony Ferguson’s Last Five UFC Fights
No wins
Loss. Michael Chiesa via first-round submission at UFC Abu Dhabi in August 2024Loss. Paddy Pimblett via unanimous decision at UFC 296 in December 2023Loss. King Green via third-round submission at UFC 291 in July 2023Loss. Nate Diaz via fourth-round submission at UFC 279 in September 2022Loss. Michael Chandler via second-round KO/TKO at UFC 274 in May 2022UFC fighter Tony Ferguson becomes first person to complete David Goggins’ brutal ‘Hell week’ workout