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Tony Ferguson is in the middle of a pretty rough five-fight losing streak as he enters UFC 291. The former interim lightweight champion will face Bobby Green this weekend, and he says he made major changes in his camp to get back on track.
Tony Ferguson fired “toxic” coaches ahead of UFC 291
Tony Ferguson attributed his recent losses to being burned out, and from people in his camp that he eventually learned wasn’t good for him.
“I’m not used to losing,” Ferguson said during a UFC 291 pre-fight press conference. “I’ll show you guys. I’ve been competing in sports since I was maybe four, five. I’ve been competing in sports for 30 plus years at the highest level. I‘m talking about state championships, and football, baseball, wrestling national championship.
“Man, you get burned out. Pandemic. It took a full pandemic for me to lose my 12 fight win streak. Not angry at it, but I had to fire some coaches,” he said. “I had to fire some people. Because I was trying to get them back, and they weren’t good for me. It was toxic. It was toxic to me and I didn’t realize it.
“I can go and reiterate some things, but I won’t. What I’ll say is my focus is back,” he said.
Tony Ferguson claims he’s still in his prime
Despite being on a long losing streak at 39-years-old, Tony Ferguson brushed off any retirement talk and claimed he’s only entering his prime.
“I feel at this time in my life that I’m just barely hitting my prime, which is crazy,” Ferguson claimed.
“One of my coaches, Juan, earlier we were doing mitts between interviews and I told him, ‘I’ve been getting up early and I just have to lay down. I know I have to lay down.’ I got up and I did my interview and I was like, ‘Hey, is there a room open?’ Everyone said yeah. I said, ‘I’ll be right there and bring your mitts.’ Didn’t even wrap up. I went and I hit the pads and I’m f—king sharp. I’m really sharp right now. I’m just as sharp as I look, baby.”
Ferguson also shared some pretty lofty goals before hanging up the gloves.
“I’m gonna be done when I want to be done,” Ferguson said. “But I’m also gonna have to do what I have to do in order to get where I want to get. Five fights then a title, baby. I’m out.”
It’s worth noting how Ferguson was also saying similar things about a lack of focus and finding a proper team ahead of his last bout against Nate Diaz, when he was on a four fight losing streak. He lost that UFC 279 fight by submission.
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