MMA and the UFC have no mercy, and the sport waits for no man.
Such is the case with ‘El Cucuy’ Tony Ferguson, once one of the top fighters in the lightweight division, with one of the longest win streaks in divisional history. Ferguson capped off an incredible nine-year run with a 12-fight winning streak and the interim lightweight title.
This would come crashing down as Ferguson endured an all-time losing streak, and now, it would appear that he is no longer on the UFC roster.
However, fans shouldn’t anticipate a Ferguson retirement just yet, as Ferguson appears to be signed with a new promotion, with a veteran rematch in his sights.
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Tony Ferguson was removed from the UFC roster as he appears on the GFL draft
Ferguson’s winning streak was ended in one of the biggest one-sided beatdowns in MMA history in 2020. After his fifth canceled fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Ferguson took a short-notice opportunity against Justin Gaethje, whom many thought had nothing for Ferguson at the time.
This couldn’t have been more wrong, as Gaethje battered Ferguson from pillar to post for almost five rounds, securing a TKO in the fifth. Fans couldn’t have anticipated this loss being the start of a generational skid for Ferguson, who would lose seven more fights in a row.
According to the roster tracker on X, the UFC has reportedly removed Ferguson from their roster, spelling an end to one of the most legendary careers in the promotion.
This doesn’t mean the end of Ferguson in MMA, as the GFL announced the signing of Ferguson to their draft. ‘El Cucuy’ has called for a rematch with Kevin Lee in the new promotion.
Tony Ferguson’s ill-fated rivalry with Khabib Nurmagomedov
Ferguson vs. Nurmagomedov is one of the biggest what-ifs in MMA history. The two lightweight greats were scheduled to fight each other five times in total, as far back as 2015.
Nurmagomedov withdrew with a rib injury in their first booking in 2015 before Ferguson was injured for their second scheduled fight a few months later. Weight-cut complications forced Nurmagomedov out of their third encounter in 2017.
They were set to headline UFC 223 in 2018 for the undisputed title, but Ferguson tripped over a cable at a pre-fight event and tore a knee ligament. Nurmagomedov fought and defeated Al Iaquinta to win the title as a replacement.
As the ultimate nail in the coffin of their rivalry, their fifth installment was canceled due to coronavirus in 2020. Instead of waiting to rebook the fight, Ferguson quickly made two weight cuts and fought Gaethje; the rest is history.