UFC CEO Dana White expressed his desire for Tony Ferguson to retire after the former interim lightweight champion suffered his seventh straight loss, this time to Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296, highlighting a noticeable decline in his performance.
Tony Ferguson’s streak of bad luck continued at UFC 296. He faced a tough defeat against Paddy Pimblett. What’s next for him is anyone’s guess.
Dana White, the UFC’s head honcho, has made his thoughts clear. He believes Ferguson’s glory days are well in the rearview mirror. “I would love to see Tony retire,” White admitted post-fight. It’s a tough pill to swallow for fans of the former interim lightweight champ.
Ferguson’s recent record? Not great. He’s been on the wrong end of a knockout or submission four times. The other three? Complete shutouts. Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush both dominated him, and that pattern didn’t change with Pimblett.
At UFC 296, Ferguson didn’t see a single round go his way. Pimblett nearly finished him in the first with a brutal combo. Ferguson hung on, but couldn’t fire back effectively.
White pointed out a stark difference in Ferguson’s latest fight. Previously, Ferguson showed grit from start to finish. Against Pimblett? Not so much. “Tony tonight looked like he should retire,” White observed.
White’s yet to chat with Ferguson about his future. So, it’s all speculation at this point. Does Ferguson even want to step back into the octagon?
White’s holding back on any official statements. He’s offering his personal view for now: Ferguson might want to consider retirement. But he’s treading lightly out of respect. “Tony’s been an absolute warrior,” White said. “I don’t want to disrespect him by publicly talking about him retiring but I would love to see him retire.” That’s where White’s head is at, and maybe, just maybe, it’s time for a curtain call.