Tony Ferguson’s Fall From Grace – A Look At His Losses That Led To The Misfits Boxing Debut
Tony Ferguson was once the most feared lightweight in the world. For over six years, he looked absolutely unstoppable, racking up twelve straight wins and making every opponent look ordinary. ‘El Cucuy’ wasn’t just beating people. He was breaking them mentally and physically with his relentless pressure and unorthodox fighting style. His elbows were razor sharp, his cardio was endless, and his ability to finish fights from impossible positions made him a nightmare matchup for anyone in the division. The man seemed invincible, like he had discovered some secret formula that other fighters couldn’t crack.
But MMA is a cruel sport that humbles everyone eventually. What made Ferguson’s fall so shocking was how completely and dramatically his skills seemed to vanish almost overnight. One day he was the interim lightweight champion with a twelve fight win streak, and then suddenly he couldn’t win a single fight. The transformation from unstoppable force to punching bag happened in a matter of minutes. Ferguson’s decline represents one of the most dramatic career collapses in UFC history. This ultimately led him to seek redemption in a completely different combat sport.
The Beginning Of The End: When Justin Gaethje Changed Everything
Ferguson’s decline began on May 9, 2020, when he faced Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title at UFC 249. This was supposed to be Ferguson’s moment to finally get the recognition he deserved after years of being overshadowed by Khabib Nurmagomedov. Instead, it became the night that everything changed. Gaethje systematically destroyed him for five brutal rounds, landing clean shots that Ferguson couldn’t seem to avoid or answer. The usually durable Ferguson looked vulnerable for the first time in years, eating punishment that made fans wince.
What made that loss so concerning was how helpless Ferguson looked trying to implement his usual game plan. His pressure didn’t work against Gaethje’s counter punching. His wild striking combinations that used to overwhelm opponents suddenly seemed predictable and easy to time. The cardio advantage that Ferguson always relied on disappeared as Gaethje matched his pace while landing the harder shots. When the referee finally stopped the fight in the fifth round, Ferguson looked like a completely different fighter than the one who had terrorized the lightweight division for years.
The Ground Game Became A Nightmare For Ferguson
Ferguson’s next two fights exposed another glaring problem. His ground game had somehow become a liability. Charles Oliveira dominated him on the mat at UFC 256, controlling Ferguson for most of the fight. He survived a deep armbar but lost via unanimous decision. Then Beneil Dariush repeated the performance at UFC 262, once again taking Ferguson down and keeping him there with relative ease. These weren’t razor close decisions. They were comprehensive beatings that showed Ferguson could no longer defend takedowns or get back to his feet.
The most puzzling part was that Ferguson had always been dangerous off his back earlier in his career. He used to submit people from the bottom position and create scrambles that worked in his favor. But suddenly he looked lost on the ground, unable to generate any offense or even basic defensive movements. Dariush in particular made it look easy. He repeatedly took Ferguson down and controlled him like he was sparring with a much less experienced fighter.
Michael Chandler’s Front Kick Heard Around the World
Michael Chandler delivered perhaps the most devastating moment of Ferguson’s losing streak at UFC 274. After Ferguson showed some glimpses of his old self in the first round, Chandler landed a perfect front kick to the face that sent Ferguson crashing to the canvas unconscious. Ferguson had never been knocked out before. The knockout was so clean and brutal that it immediately became one of the most replayed finishes of the year. But more than just another loss, this knockout seemed to represent the final nail in the coffin of Ferguson’s elite level career.
The image of Ferguson lying motionless on the canvas was heartbreaking for longtime fans who remembered when he was the one delivering those kinds of finishes to other people. Ferguson had gone from being the most dangerous lightweight in the world to getting knocked out cold by a front kick that he should have seen coming from a mile away.
Tony Ferguson’s Desperate Decision To Move Up in Weight
Ferguson’s decision to move up to welterweight seemed like a logical way to potentially revive his career. The extra weight might help his durability, and facing different opponents could expose weaknesses in his game that weren’t as obvious at lightweight. Unfortunately, the move up in weight classes only made his problems more apparent. His loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 279 was particularly painful to watch. Ferguson spent most of the fight getting outworked by a fighter who many considered past his prime.
Here was a fight that seemed tailor made for Ferguson to get back on track. He was facing another striker who liked to stand and trade. Instead, Diaz controlled the pace, landed the cleaner shots, and eventually submitted Ferguson with a guillotine choke that the old Tony Ferguson would have defended easily. The defeat showed that Ferguson’s problems weren’t just about weight classes or stylistic matchups. Justin Gaethje had broken Tony Ferguson!
Demoralizing Loss To King Green
Ferguson’s fight against King Green at UFC 291 in July 2023 showed that his problems weren’t getting any better with time. Green controlled most of the fight with superior wrestling and positioning, keeping Ferguson on the defensive for three rounds. The end came in the final seconds of the third round when Green locked in an arm-triangle choke that Ferguson couldn’t escape.
What made this loss especially frustrating was that Ferguson had moments where he looked like his old self. He was throwing creative combinations and showing flashes of the pressure that once made him famous. But those moments were brief and quickly snuffed out by Green’s superior grappling and game planning.
Submission Loss To Paddy Pimblett
The loss to Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296 in December 2023 might have been the most demoralizing of Ferguson’s entire streak. Pimblett was still relatively unproven at the highest level. He was riding a wave of hype from his entertaining fighting style and personality. This should have been a fight where Ferguson’s experience and veteran savvy could have made the difference. Instead, Pimblett controlled the pace and won a clear unanimous decision that left no doubt about who the better fighter was that night.
Ferguson looked slow and predictable against Pimblett’s movement and timing. The young Englishman seemed to anticipate everything Ferguson tried to do. By the final bell, Ferguson looked exhausted and defeated. With this loss, he matched BJ Penn’s losing streak.
Michael Chiesa’s First Round Finish At Welterweight
The end of Ferguson’s UFC career came in August 2024. Michael Chiesa submitted him with a rear naked choke in the first round. This was a complete mismatch from the opening bell. Chiesa took Ferguson down almost immediately, controlled him on the ground like he was dealing with an amateur, and finished the submission with ease.
Ferguson tapped out less than four minutes into the fight, giving him eight consecutive losses and the longest losing streak in UFC history. Breaking B.J. Penn’s record for consecutive defeats wasn’t the kind of history Ferguson wanted to make.
Venture Into Misfits Boxing
Ferguson’s transition to Misfits boxing represents his final attempt to recapture some of the magic that made him special. The format seems better suited to his current skill set, focusing on close range striking and clinch work rather than the complex grappling exchanges. His August 30 bout against Salt Papi at Misfits 22 in Manchester gives him a chance to compete for an interim middleweight title. This sounds impressive even if the opposition isn’t even close to UFC-level.
The move to Misfits boxing also allows Ferguson to avoid some of the takedown heavy game plans that had been destroying him in MMA. At 41 years old, Ferguson knows this might be his last chance to prove he can still compete in any combat sport, making his Misfits boxing debut a true make-or-break moment for his fighting legacy!
Also Read: Misfits 22: Best Picks and Predictions
Recent posts
