I was lucky enough to attend UFC 216 on October 7, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s funny what you do and do not remember about attending a sporting event eight years later. One of my strongest memories is rushing back to my seat to catch Bobby Green vs. Lando Vannata, the incredible back-and-forth war that ultimately took home an additional $50k for the \u201cFight of the Night\u201d bonus. I remember my wife got a picture with Beneil Dariush after his entertaining draw opposite Evan Dunham. I don\u2019t, however, really remember watching the co-main event of Demetrious Johnson vs. Ray Borg live, despite its legendary ending sequence that should stand out as an all-time great UFC submission.<\/p>\n
Eight years is an awful long time, after all.<\/p>\n
UFC 216 can also be looked back at as the peak of Tony Ferguson\u2019s UFC career, the night he submitted a young Kevin Lee to capture UFC interim gold in the main event. It\u2019s the victory that should have really destined him for a long-awaited showdown versus Khabib Nurmagomedov, the \u201cundisputed\u201d champion at the time. Instead, Ferguson would trip over a cable and destroy his knee on April 1, 2018, just six days before he was supposed to finally face \u201dThe Eagle.\u201c<\/p>\n
Though \u201cEl Cucuy\u201d would defeat two more excellent fighters in Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone, there\u2019s no doubt the knee injury hampered his career. While still a mean S.O.B., Ferguson was slower and less devastating in his return. The lack of speed cost him greatly opposite Justin Gaethje, who effectively ended Ferguson\u2019s career with a 23-minute barrage of power shots to the skull.<\/p>\n
Since the Gaethje loss in 2020, Ferguson has lost seven more fights. Four of those defeats came via stoppage, and if we\u2019re being generous, two were competitive. Mostly, it\u2019s been one way traffic, as Ferguson no longer has the prerequisite athleticism to make his wonky fighting style work.<\/p>\n
Ferguson was released from the UFC last year after his historic eight-fight losing streak. It\u2019s abundantly clear that Ferguson is no longer an elite athlete by any means. Call him \u201clong in the tooth\u201d if you\u2019re being generous and \u201cwashed\u201d if you\u2019re being honest \u2014 everybody knows the glory days of \u201cEl Cucuy\u201d were eight years ago now.<\/p>\n
Even so, Ferguson continues on. He signed with GFL before they imploded, and he\u2019s found a new home in Misfits Boxing. There\u2019s still value in the \u201cEl Cucuy\u201d brand, and ruthless combat promotions are going to make use of it. In the case of Misfits, the promotion is clearly hoping to squeeze every remaining drop of combat legitimacy from Ferguson onto \u201cSalt Papi,\u201d real name Nathaniel Bustamante.<\/p>\n
Who the f\u2014k is Salt Papi? I won\u2019t claim to understand his appeal as an influencer (Google tells me he gained fame by imitating \u201cSalt Bae,\u201d which is baffling on several levels), but the 6-2 boxer can crack. He moves fluidly, puts together combinations well, and \u2014 most importantly \u2014 is just 31 years old. He\u2019s widely favored to defeat Ferguson, who even at his best was better with elbows and snap kicks than classic boxing combos.<\/p>\n
Still \u2026 this is a monstrous step back in competition for Ferguson. The worst person to beat him during his losing streak was Michael Chiesa, an Ultimate Figher (TUF) winner who did achieve UFC Top 10 status for a time. There is at least some hope of a return to the win column.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s on the line for Ferguson (aside from a paycheck)? Ferguson is fighting for pride and self-worth here. He can prove that he hasn\u2019t fallen so far as to be beaten up by an influencer. A Ferguson victory is proof that booking him against an athlete you hope to promote can still backfire, evidence that there is still SOMETHING left in the tank.<\/p>\n
There may technical be some silly Misfits title on the line, but dignity is the greater reward.<\/p>\n