Tony Ferguson has been one of the most notable personalities on the UFC scene. Since his arrival in the sport. He has a huge fan following, mostly because of his unique fighting style, unorthodox training methods, and ruthless mindset. The tension he creates in the crowd with his otherworldly antics really makes Ferguson one of a kind. At the peak of his powers, Tony compiled a spectacular and violent 13-fight winning streak in the lightweight division. In this article, we have mentioned some of his wildest and most exciting moments, both inside and outside the Octagon.
Ferguson’s biggest victory
Ferguson’s biggest win to date is when he defeated Kevin Lee in the main event of UFC 216 in 2017 for the interim lightweight title. Everyone saw a controversial promotional buildup with both fighters destroying each other in the weeks leading up to the fight. Lee went right after Ferguson to start things off, but he knew it wasn’t easy to take him down. Ferguson eventually defeated his opponent through relentless pressure and aggression. The victory over Lee was Ferguson’s 10th in a row, in which he captured UFC gold through a triangle choke in the third round. He has had many spectacular wins in the UFC, but his victory over Lee at UFC 216 has been the highlight of his career till now.
When the Boogeyman throws his competitor on the table
In 2011, Ferguson won season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter after beating Ramsey Nijem in the final, but the upstart caused a stir on the program after his victory in the semi-final match. Tony Ferguson celebrated his win over Chuck O’Neil a bit too wildly by pinning fellow competitor Charlie Raiders through a table. After this, he began verbally scolding Radar for not having custody of his son. Although he eventually expressed his regret for dragging Radar’s son into this thing. Yet, at last, the crowd and the whole world caught a glimpse of the maniacal personality inside Ferguson, which is a curse for all his opposing fighters.
The Bloodbath Victory
Ferguson’s bloody victory over Anthony Pettis at UFC 229 in 2018 is something that will always be remembered. It is a match that is known by most of those who are not even UFC fans. The match between Ferguson and Pettis was the fight of the night at UFC 229. The amazing part is that El Cucuy won that fight right away, six months after tearing the ligaments of his left knee. I’m pretty sure that Ferguson was told by the doctors that he would be out for a whole year because of such an injury, but the fighter just dismissed those opinions and took over his rehabilitation himself. On fight day, he definitely proved the doctors wrong and won the fierce battle. Just to show off, Ferguson also threw a forward roll escape after being tagged by Pettis during the fight. Ferguson’s little dance in the bloodbath during that fight is still one of the most terrifying and iconic moments in the history of the UFC.
The El Cucuy piping down the heavyweight
The Boogeyman, aka Ferguson, is full of savageness and a fearless attitude, and his attitude amazed everyone when he asked heavyweight Fabricio Werdum to pipe down during a video chat with MMA fighters two years ago. Despite being in the Lightweight category, Ferguson had the guts to quiet down a heavyweight wrestler, which surprised everyone. The brawl happened when the two were talking separately to reporters during the media Luncheon for UFC 216. That’s when Ferguson said, “Hold on, I’m talking brother,” to Werdum while raising his hands. This clearly didn’t sit well with the Brazilian, and it turned into a war of words and curses in different languages until the two were eventually separated by the UFC staff.
The victory against Rafael
After an eight-fight winning streak in the UFC lightweight division following his victory over Lando Vannata, Ferguson was close to gold. He already had an impressive resume but still had to beat a big name before he could get his chance at UFC gold. Ferguson was in incredible form and was booked to fight former 155-pound Kingpin Rafael Dos Anjos. They faced off in the main event of UFC Fight Night 98. Anjos is the best fighter in the history of the 155-pound division, and on the other hand, Ferguson has smooth grappling techniques. Many thought Rafael would be a tough match for Ferguson.
The first round of the fight was a tight contest as both fighters landed solid shots. The second round was dominated by Ferguson with his constant forward pressure, repeated jabs, body kicks, and leg kicks. Rafael enjoyed moments of success in the third round, but he struggled against El Cucuy in the final frame. He looked clearly injured in the fifth round, while Ferguson looked fresh as ever. The Boogeyman put up a dominating last five minutes and won by a unanimous decision.