Tony Ferguson’s not ready to hang up his gloves, despite a record-tying streak of losses. He’s at a rough 25-10, having suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296. This marks his seventh straight loss in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It’s a dubious honor, tying him with B.J. Penn for the longest losing streak in the promotion’s history.
But, hey, streaks are streaks, right? Even if they’re made up of several lopsided beatdowns and one chilling knockout via front kick. Even if the UFC CEO is hinting at retirement. Ferguson, or “El Cucuy” as he’s known, isn’t ready to throw in the towel. He’s 39, a Californian, and he’s not done yet. He even posted on Instagram, “Not retiring casuals.”
Before this losing streak, Ferguson was on top. He had the longest winning streak at lightweight. Back in 2019, he was seen as the main threat to former champ Khabib Nurmagomedov. But, as luck would have it, the matchup never happened.
Then came UFC 249. Ferguson found himself in an interim title clash against Justin Gaethje. That match changed everything. Gaethje took away Ferguson’s air of invincibility with a brutal beatdown leading to a fifth-round technical knockout. Nurmagomedov predicted this would change “El Cucuy” forever.
And maybe “The Eagle” was right. Ferguson has since dropped six more straight. He’s been up against elite opponents like Charles Oliveira, Beneil Dariush, and Michael Chandler. But even against lower-ranked opponents like Nate Diaz, Bobby Green, and Pimblett, he hasn’t managed to bounce back. But hey, who knows what’s next?