UFC icon shares theory on Tony Ferguson's reluctance to accept retirement: "He’s like a cocaine addict trying to reach that high again"
A former UFC fighter recently offered his perspective on Tony Ferguson's hesitation to embrace retirement. 'El Cucuy' suffered his eighth consecutive defeat in the octagon, succumbing to a first-round submission against Michael Chiesa at UFC Abu Dhabi last weekend.
Following the loss, Ferguson acknowledged that his professional career is nearing its end but stopped short of declaring his retirement. Rather than making an official announcement, the former UFC interim lightweight champion chose to keep his options open, signaling that while his UFC run is likely over, he isn't entirely ready to close that chapter just yet.
During a recent episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer (via MMA Fighting), UFC welterweight veteran Matt Brown discussed the potential challenges Ferguson may be encountering as his career winds down. 'The Immortal' noted that this is a common issue among fighters, who often struggle to leave the sport behind and transition to new endeavors: He said:
"Look, when you lose eight in a row, it doesn’t matter where you’re at in your career — that’s pretty much ok. You should probably call it quits. Something isn’t right. Whatever it is. If you lost your first eight or you lost your last eight. The problem is he had so many wins, he was interim champion, on like a 12-fight winning streak back in the day. So he’s like a cocaine addict trying to reach that high again. When you get eight [losses], it doesn’t matter."
Once hailed as one of the most feared fighters in the 155-pound division, 'El Cucuy' enjoyed a remarkable 12-fight win streak. However, Ferguson's trajectory took a significant downturn when he faced Justin Gaethje at UFC 249 in May 2020, suffering a defeat that abruptly ended his undefeated run.
Khabib Nurmagomedov shares thoughts on Tony Ferguson's potential retirement
Khabib Nurmagomedov expressed admiration for Tony Ferguson after witnessing what might be the American's last fight in the UFC.
During a backstage interview at UFC Abu Dhabi, 'The Eagle' shared words of encouragement for Ferguson and emphasized that while his fighting career may be coming to an end, he still has ample time ahead to accomplish other things. He said:
"It’s not a surprise for me because he’s 40 years old. I just want to wish him all the best. He’s truly one of the best who ever was doing it in the UFC. I just want to wish him all the best. His life is just beginning because he’s just 40 years old, and he just finished his MMA career. Now, it’s going to be a different life, a much better life."
Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's comments on Tony Ferguson below: