What's next for Tony Ferguson? Is it the time for him to quit the UFC road?
After a crushing loss against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296, Tony Ferguson is in a deep pit where retirement is seen as the only rope, or a victory in future.
A couple of years ago, Tony Ferguson was the most revered name in the UFC Lightweight division. His unbelievable run of beating 12 opponents straight got him to the pinnacle of the rankings, but the ill fate kept him away from a much-deserved title shot. The time has changed for the worse, and now, from a 12-fight win streak, he is on a 7-match losing spree.
3 things you need to know
- Tony Ferguson lost the fight against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296
- Tony's losing streak continued and it has reached 7
- Tony is a former interim UFC Lightweight Champion
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Tony Ferguson loses the fight against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296
Following the tough unanimous decision loss to Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296, the fans have seemingly given hope on the 39-year-old fighter and most of the knowers of the sport are of the view that, the time has come for Tony to retire. UFC CEO Dana White, who in the past has spoken highly about Tony, also made it known that he does not want to disrespect the veteran fighter, but like him to retire.
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Expert's opinion on Tony Ferguson
To delve deeper into the subject, republicworld.com, caught up with UFC expert Somesh Kamra. Somesh has been associated with the sport of MMA for over a decade, and before every UFC pay-per-view, he presents his expertise with his buddy of the same stature, Arjun Chipalkatti, on Sony Sports Network.
Here's what he thinks about Tony Ferguson's future. (Note: The following thoughts were recorded before the commencement of UFC 296)
Tony Ferguson is one of the greats out there. Sadly he is on a 6-fight losing streak. Even though he has tried a lot of permutations and combinations be his training regime or his diet, I think in his last fight he was training with Freddy Roach, who is this renowned boxing coach to get his hands in place, but you know suddenly this camp we had David Goggins come into the picture and testing him. I think Tony Ferguson's strategies are not clear. I think he's semi-past his prime, big name in the world of MMA but sadly I think he's past his prime. So, I think any fight with Tony Ferguson is going to create headlines but I don't think it will deliver.
While the general mandate has given the verdict about Tony. For the fighter he is, El Cucuy still has some fire left as after the culmination of UFC 296 he dismissed all the speculations of a possible retirement.
*Sony Sports Network is the official partner of UFC in India.
Published By : Prateek Arya
Published On: 23 December 2023 at 22:32 IST