Michael Johnson has weighed in on Tony Ferguson’s upcoming boxing debut.
Longtime UFC lightweight Johnson is still winning at 39 years old, putting together an impressive three-fight win streak with a near-finish of Daniel Zellhuber on Dustin Poirier’s retirement card at UFC 318 on Saturday.
The same can’t be said for former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion Tony Ferguson, who left the UFC last year after eight consecutive losses—the worst losing skid in UFC history.
Despite many calls for him to retire, the 41-year-old will be stepping into the boxing ring against social media influencer Salt Papi at Misfits Boxing 22 on Aug. 30.
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesMichael Johnson on Tony Ferguson fighting Salt Papi: ‘If he loses to this guy, it’s bad’
Johnson, the last man to defeat Ferguson before he went on his legendary 12-fight win streak, isn’t so much a fan of Ferguson’s boxing debut, but nevertheless, he’s still pulling for his former foe to win.
“I’ll always root for Tony Ferguson,” Johnson told Bloody Elbow at the UFC 318 post-fight press conference.
“Once you shared fifteen minutes in a cage, you kinda have that bond between these guys.
“I don’t like that he’s going the content route and fighting these people and giving them, like, a spotlight to kind of shine,” Johnson said of Ferguson boxing Salt Papi.
“He could put himself in jeopardy. If he loses to this guy, it’s bad…
“If he wins, it’s like, you beat some content guy,” Johnson added.
Salt Papi is 6-2 as an influencer-boxer, with one of his losses coming to former Bellator lightweight fighter Anthony ‘Pretty Boy’ Taylor.
“But, we’re in a position where it’s all about money at this point, he’s probably just trying to take care of his family. So, I’m in for that,” Johnson said of why Ferguson is fighting at 41.
Michael Johnson says he’d like to box in the future
More than a decade since he outboxed Ferguson in the UFC Octagon, we asked Johnson if he’d consider fighting anywhere else after leaving UFC 318 with a winning record.
“We’ll see. I still have some time to think about it,” Johnson said on if his last fight will be in the UFC.
“But once I set up, I got in the UFC and I told them, you guys aren’t getting rid of me. I’m gonna leave on my own accord.
“I would definitely like to box later down the road,” Johnson revealed.
“But right now, I’m here for the UFC and I’m still chasing this title,” the 39-year-old said.
Johnson has now won three straight fights over the likes of Darrius Flowers, Ottman Azaitar, and Daniel Zellhuber. This is Johnson’s best win streak in a decade.