The former interim UFC lightweight champion, Tony Ferguson, remains steadfast despite growing calls for his retirement from the sport following another loss at UFC 296. Ferguson now shares the record with B.J. Penn for the most consecutive losses in octagon history. “El Cucuy” suffered his seventh consecutive loss last Saturday against Paddy Pimblett via unanimous decision.
Ferguson showed competitiveness in most of his previous defeats, but his recent encounter with Pimblett was mainly one-sided. However, despite the setbacks, Tony appears undaunted and continues to disregard suggestions of retirement.
El Cucay expressed gratitude for fans
Ferguson took to social media on Wednesday and posted a message for his fans and supporters around the world. The caption sent a clear message that he has no plans to retire. In the message, Tony expressed gratitude and love towards his fans after his recent loss at UFC 296 and urged them not to lose faith in him. The noteworthy thing in the post was the hashtags that directly refuted any speculations about his retirement. It seems that the 39-year-old is determined to overcome his recent setbacks and continue his journey in MMA.
Dana White wants to see Ferguson retire
After the UFC 296 bout, Tony Ferguson was praised by his opponent, Paddy Pimblett. “The Baddy” referred to Ferguson as a legend and expressed agreement with his decision to continue fighting if he wishes. On the other hand, UFC President Dana White reacted less optimistically to Ferguson’s latest defeat and said that “I would love to see Tony retire.”
Ferguson was once one of the toughest fighters in the UFC
Not to forget, Tony was once on a 12-fight winning streak. During his prime, Tony Ferguson was considered one of the most powerful fighters in the lightweight division. He won the interim lightweight championship with a submission win over Kevin Lee at UFC 216. However, due to injuries and other factors, he never got the opportunity to fight for the undisputed title.
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Recent years have been very tough for Ferguson, as he has not achieved a single victory since June 2019. His recent failures have come against formidable opponents like Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, Beneil Dariush, Michael Chandler and Nate Diaz. Each of these fighters are either highly ranked in their respective divisions or have competed for UFC titles, demonstrating the challenging nature of Ferguson’s recent matchups.
