When will Tony Ferguson actually retire?
Tony Ferguson has risen right to the top of the list when you talk about MMA stars. For a guy who has never changed his gimmick, fighting style, or anything else for that matter, Tony has captured the hearts and attention of the MMA fandom.
Unfortunately, for Ferguson, he finds himself in a sport where you have the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows. If winning twelve in a row, followed by losing six in a row is not indicative of that, then I don’t know what is. Yet ironically, his popularity has grown most over the course of the recent defeats.
Six Loss Skid
The future UFC Hall of Famer’s last six fights have been rough, simply put. He took BRUTAL shots in the Justin Gaethje fight, had his arm bent WAY back in the Charles Oliveira fight, and got VICIOUSLY knocked out by Michael Chandler. And yes, you could say he lost to the very best, but most would agree that prime Tony Feguson would not look nearly this bad. Even if he was losing…
Every time he makes the walk now, it is a bittersweet feeling for Tony’s fans. They are excited to see the legend that is Ferguson, but they fear another fight that may take years off his career.
You would think one might call it a career after six straight defeats, but not Tony.
Retirement Rumors Addressed
The former Interim Lightweight Champion recently made an appearance on The MMA Hour, where he would address the state of his career.
“Getting cut, retiring, was never in my thought process…it’s not easy to do what we do inside of that cage, it takes a lot of f***ing balls…I’m blessed to be able to do what I do and it’s never been a thought in my head to retire. I’ve been competing for 35 years, and I don’t know anything different but to win, and know how to lose. I don’t like to lose, I f***ing hate losing, but I do know how to lose. I don’t like to be a sore loser, I want to get back on my bike and keep moving forward,” said Ferguson.
At 39 years of age, there seems to be no retirement in sight for Tony Ferguson. Which begs the question, when does he actually retire? Given the character that is Ferguson, it may be a difficult question to even ponder.
Fighting Beyond UFC?
The fact that Tony is still in the UFC after a six fight skid, just highlights the respect the company must have for him. However, after a certain point, enough is enough, no matter how great you are. Even Chuck Liddell and other stars were only able to stay in the UFC but for so long after all those losses. Say what you will about Dana White, but when it comes to fighters taking unneeded damage late in their careers, he wants no part of it.
Would Tony keep fighting even outside of the UFC? The way companies like PFL seem to be paying nowadays, nothing is impossible. Meaning even if the UFC were to eventually cut ties with Ferguson, there will undoubtedly be suitors for the MMA star.
In other words, Tony can fight for as long as he wants and quite frankly, that scares me.
I would urge anyone reading this to do what makes them happy in life. However, there are some circumstances in which changes must be made. If Tony continues to lose and more importantly take damage, he is risking his health.
Snap The Losing Streak
Reality can be harsh sometimes, but as a fan of Tony Ferguson, I am certainly not praying for his downfall. So let’s highlights some notable UFC fighters who were able to snap some lengthy losing streaks…
- Robbie Lawler snapped his four fight losing streak against Nick Diaz at UFC 266
- Jim Miller snapped his four fight losing streak against Alex White at UFC 228
- Andrei Arlovksi snapped his five fight losing streak against Junior Albini at UFC Fight Night 120
There are a couple of others as well. So in a sport where anything can happen, Tony getting back in the win column is certainly not out of the question.
When Does Tony Ferguson Retire?
After thinking hard on this topic, trying to get into the mind of a Tony Ferguson, and coming out even more confused in the process, I have concluded that I really do not know. Tony Ferguson is a once-in-a-lifetime character in this sport, he is bound to make unorthodox decisions.
I do not envision a scenario in which Tony just outright retires. My brain simply cannot process it, but it has to happen someday… Right?
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