Tony Ferguson thinks his UFC losing skid was able to reach as long as it did courtesy of an opponent’s deliberate cheating.
Ferguson washed out of the UFC in 2024 after a submission defeat to Michael Chiesa in Abu Dhabi marked his eighth setback in a row.
That result ensured ‘El Cucuy’ would end his Octagon tenure without a win since 2019, and riding a streak of defeats that put Ferguson into the history books for all the wrong reasons.
When he makes the walk Saturday in Manchester to compete in the ring for the first time at Misfits Boxing 22, the former interim UFC lightweight champion will look to avoid a ninth loss on the bounce in combat sports.
Fortunately, the fate that befell him in the sixth setback on his horrendous run won’t be possible against Salt Papi on August 30.
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King Green put Tony Ferguson out cold in the last 10 seconds at UFC 291
After Ferguson was submitted by Nate Diaz in their late-notice UFC 279 main event, ‘El Cucuy’ competed in his first lightweight fight against a contender outside of the top 10 in years.
The drop down in competition initially looked set to pay dividends, as Ferguson rocked King Green in round one of their fight at UFC 291 in July 2023.
But after his momentum was stalled by a gruesome eye poke, the 41-year-old fell behind on the scorecards and was in need of a late rally. Instead, though, Ferguson was choked unconscious by Green in the last 10 seconds of the third and final round.
The lightweight journeyman locked in an arm-triangle choke on the ground, leaving Ferguson frantically thrashing and kicking his legs in a desperate attempt to escape.
While he had tapped months earlier against Diaz, the Californian instead went out at UFC 291 and was left lying unconscious on the canvas as Green wheeled off to celebrate.
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Tony Ferguson accused King Green of deliberate eye poke at UFC 291
Before the fight, Ferguson had caused a stir by claiming he was just entering his “prime” despite losing his previous five fights. And the devastating setback in Salt Lake City apparently did little to convince ‘El Cucuy’ that he was finished.
Instead, he reiterated his belief that there was plenty left in his tank in a statement that also saw Ferguson accuse Green of deliberate cheating.
“Bobby knew the direction of the fight and I believe he knew what he was doing when he poked my eye,” Ferguson wrote on Instagram.
“He has a big history of moves like this. It significantly impaired my vision, making it difficult to see clearly out of my eye.
“Despite this eye poke I never considered stopping the fight. Although the doc wanted to,” Ferguson added.
Over two years later, Ferguson will box TikTok star Salt Papi in his first combat sports foray since departing the UFC.