"I'm still kind of flabbergasted" - Tony Ferguson breaks down UFC 274 loss to Michael Chandler
Tony Ferguson is still struggling to figure out what he did wrong in the second round of his fight with Michael Chandler which led to a vicious knockout loss for 'El Cucuy' at UFC 274.
Ferguson said that he came into the fight with a specific game plan and it worked for him until he got put to sleep by a devastating front kick by Chandler.
Michael Chandler just sent Tony Ferguson to the SHADOW REALM https://t.co/8r3b9JMPqC
Ferguson also revealed, however, that his corner asked him to refrain from using push kicks to control range and maintain distance during the fight, which was contrary to what they had initially planned.
'El Cucuy' also wants to understand why he was backing up instead of pushing the pace at the beginning of the second round. Barring that, the 38-year-old said he thought he was doing well in the first round both on the feet and on the ground.
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn, Ferguson stated:
"I'm still kind of flabbergasted why I was backing up, you know, trying to listen in to my corners and trying to figure out exactly what was going through my mind when I was doing. That is still on the books but I'm working on that one, that's for sure... before I walked out my corner said, 'don't throw push kicks' [and] I'm trying to figure out why he said that."
Ferguson added:
"He had an explanation why but we had a routine, we were supposed to go in there, utilize the jab, keep our distance, keep our range and utilize our push kicks and our teep kicks to make sure that we keep them at bay, test his stomach out with those push kicks and the punches to the stomach and make him go for a shot which we had the D'Arce lined up."
Catch the interview below:
Tony Ferguson doesn't remember talking to Chuck Liddell following loss to Michael Chandler
Tony Ferguson has admitted that he wasn't all there after getting back to his senses following the first knockout loss of his career against 'Iron'. The former interim lightweight champion said he was completely dazed and doesn't remember talking to Chuck Liddell following the fight.
Tony Ferguson leaves the cage after his #UFC274 loss and is embraced by Chuck Liddell. https://t.co/zbTFIzX2IS
Ferguson said it was on his way to the ambulance when he realized that he had lost the fight:
"I didn't remember standing on the stool, I remember barely [anything from the] second round. I don't remember talking to Chuck Liddell and I don't remember walking out and seeing the fans. All I remember was looking at my coach, lights kind of went on and like a fade in like a movie director, like I fade in and I look at my coach and I'm walking to the ambulance and I said, 'f**k', I already knew it, I lost."
Despite the disappointment of losing, Tony Ferguson said rewatching his own performance in the first round motivates him to continue working hard to achieve success inside the octagon.
'El Cucuy' believes he still has the hunger to compete against the best fighters on the planet and wants to prove the same next time around.