A former UFC star has revealed he did not want to compete for the last ‘four to five years’ of his career in the organisation.
The organisation is known for hosting the premier talents that the MMA world has to offer, including the likes of Jon Jones and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
However, when a fighter experiences a prolonged losing streak in the UFC, they are often at risk of being cut for failing to uphold their standards.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Even names that are synonymous with the MMA juggernaut have not been safe from being let go after a run of bad performances.
Former UFC star reveals he was ‘miserable’ in the last ‘four to five’ years and was unmotivated to fight
One such star was the ever-popular Tony Ferguson, who was cut from Dana White’s organisation in January 2025.
His release shortly followed his eighth consecutive loss to Michael Chiesa, which gave him the record for the longest losing streak in UFC history.
Now he returns to the combat sports world in a Misfits Boxing match against influencer Nathaniel Bustamante, better known as ‘Salt Papi’, in Manchester on August 30th.
Before stepping into the ring, he opened up to MMA Fighting about his last few years as a mixed martial artist.
He said: “I don’t give a f- – – what anybody thinks about me. ‘[(s) Tony Ferguson in his prime?’ I don’t give a f- – -. The interest is there right now.
“I’m going to go in there and give the best possible version of myself that I possibly can because I’m uncomfortable in practice right now.
“The last four to five years, I’ve been comfortable in practice. I’ve been miserable in the fight because I just didn’t want to f- – -ing do it.”
‘El Cucuy’ in his time as a fan favourite almost brought him to a world title shot, but issues plagued his scheduled fight with Khabib, who Ferguson believes he could still ‘disarm’.
The altogether different challenge of transitioning into the boxing world faces the former interim lightweight champion; he does, however, seem to be relishing this new career path.
“I’m uncomfortable in practice right now, getting rounds and making myself feel that way so that way when I get inside that ring, I’m going to be comfortable as f- – -,” he said.
Tony Ferguson drops WWE legend’s signature move during odd open workout
While crossover boxing may seem a step down for the star, he is embracing the world with open arms, putting his sharp mic skills and humour to good use.
Never was this more apparent than his open workout yesterday, where he decided to pull off an infamous signature move from a WWE legend.
In the midst of performing stretches and skipping rope, the Californian dropped a ‘People’s Elbow’, an homage to The Rock, in the boxing ring to the delight and slight bemusement of the attendees.
His Misfits 22 bout is the co-main event to Darren Till vs Luke Rockhold on Saturday, August 30th at the AO Arena in Manchester.