Despite a six-fight losing streak and calls for his retirement, UFC fighter Tony Ferguson has refused to retire, vowing to reclaim his form and even reuniting with his old coaches to prepare for his forthcoming bout with Paddy Pimblett.
Tony Ferguson is aware of the pleas asking him to retire following his six-fight losing streak. The disappointment that accompanies every fight announcement and the flood of emojis hitting his social media after each loss doesn’t escape him. Despite experiencing this quiet dread in the wake of his recent defeat at the hands of Bobby Green at UFC 291, repeating the cycle when his next bout against Paddy Pimblett for UFC 296 on Dec. 16 was announced, Ferguson remains resolved.
He refuses to admit defeat or contemplate retirement just yet – Ferguson is determined to right his course. The former UFC interim lightweight champion made this clear during ‘The MMA Hour’: “Getting cut [from the UFC] was never in my thought process, retiring was never in my thought process.” He acknowledges his recent struggles, but also his resolve to pull his career back on track. In the same breath, he expressed gratitude for the opportunity to do what he does best citing that, despite its challenges, he enjoys his work in the cage.
Ferguson, 39, is a standout figure in UFC as one of the greatest lightweights of his time. His winning spree from 2013-2019 ties with Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s undefeated reign as the longest in UFC Lightweight division history. Despite this legacy, recent years have posed significant challenges – with a stretch of six losses, four of which ended in dramatic stoppages. Hoping to break this run of unfortunate results, Ferguson is geared for UFC 296.
Prior to his UFC 296 face-off, Ferguson reflected on his downfall. He openly admitted his mistakes and stated that he’s worked hard to understand the reasons why he found himself in such a difficult spot. The former champion accepted responsibility for his actions, realizing that the path to recovery starts in the practice room, not the fighting ring. Ferguson yearned to get back to his past when he had fun training and performing, not just endlessly preparing for fights. That’s why he decided to revert to his basics for UFC 296. He’s reassembled his old training team, which according to him, significantly rekindled his fighting spirit. “I’ve found myself emotionally and I’ve learned how to smile again,” he stated. His unflinching determination to succeed and his refusal to give up, even after a string of losses, echoes his belief in staying the course. He further underlined his commitment in these words: “I’m unbreakable. I really want to win. I’m not wishing — I’m making it happen.”