Tony Ferguson opens with the emotional release of the UFC: “It was the most difficult thing of F *** ING”

Tony Ferguson is on a mission like no other.

Former interim champion of the UFC Lightweight has experienced better days in its MMA race. Formerly one of the most feared producers of sports in sport, Ferguson rocked a sequence of historic victories of 12 fights which began in 2013 and spread in 2019 before the tides turned with a defeat with direct elimination against Justin Gaethje. Ferguson, 41, has not won since and was finally released from his UFC contract in January after losing eight consecutive fights, an unfortunate UFC record.

But despite such a demoralizing section, Ferguson shows no signs of exhaustion of a broken mentality when he approaches his beginnings on the World League against Dillon Danis on May 11 in Los Angeles.

“I still focus on what? Keep moving sport,” said Ferguson on “The Ariel Helwani Show” on Monday. “I haven’t always said that? I always kept this to my word. If I can demonstrate on May 11 that a guy who had a sequence of victories of 12 combinations, has a sequence of eight (remains of defeats), then (then (can) come back and resemble a completely different fighter.

Ferguson’s longevity in the UFC despite his half-depth collapse testifies to his work. His 14 -year -old race could have ended much earlier if he had not won respect for the powers in place. With so much time invested in promotion and sport, the reality of restarting again was difficult for Ferguson.

Before his release, Ferguson publicly discussed the possibility of trying other sports companies for his next move. A boxing opportunity even came across his lap when Misfits Boxing approached him to fight the owner of the KSI company – a match that finally went to the next Ferguson opponent, Danis, on March 29.

“I started talking to my team, talking to my father – he’s in my corner now – and I had a few other people who are good advisers for me, and we say to ourselves:” Hey, what do you know? Termons mixed martial arts. Come on this big bone, then we can worry about boxing later “, said Ferguson. “It was not as if we had said no (in KSI), but we started to focus more on the MMA, and then obviously KSI went and I guess I found a different opponent, because there was then the draft (GFL). It was then that this S *** was falling.

“Then, when the draft happened and everything, it was a bit like” ok yeah, we are sure that it is the direction where we want to go. “We want to turn heads.

“When I left the UFC, everything was, I hate saying that I wanted to fight another time,” he continued, “but obviously, even me, I said to myself:” Ok, I have to apologize, guys, but I don’t want to go on bad terms. “”

“Talking to (CEO of the UFC) Dana (White), speaking to (UFC CBO) Hunter (Campbell), in fact, then accepting. It was as if we had all agreed that it was the best for me to continue. Honestly, it was great.”

Always a team player at the best of his abilities, Ferguson is proud to represent his team, regardless of the name or the brand. In GFL, it will be the Los Angeles team.

But it is always a big change compared to the UFC. And for “El Cucuy”, there was a precise moment when everything was installed.

“I must tell you that I thrilled all my UFC stuff,” said Ferguson. “I put it in the bags – and it was the most difficult thing I had to do. It was a few days when it took me a while to be able to adapt. I put everything in big storage bags and I was ready to move on, and it’s almost like when you can help my family, my grandmother and everything.

“I ended up obtaining a contract (UFC). So this whole process has never been a disappointment, but what has been an experience of learning how, one, I go to my activities; two, on the way I treat my nearby circle; and three, on the way I want to plan for the future. New Jersey, a new moment of the shirt.

“I think it’s a great sport,” he said. “I think that the direction that is fine, one day, we will see at the Olympic Games. But it’s okay (being on this first GFL group for 2025, especially on May 11 (to) come there and make sure that everyone understands that we do not want us to fight. It is an individual sport, but you always beat us for a team. Which is close to this type of scenario as a collegial type – legitimate college where he wants to penetrate (new land).

Changes within the GFL exceed promotion and format. Ferguson was a perpetual light weight throughout his career of 36 MMA fights, although he also took Welters weight fights in his last UFC years. He will participate in 165 pounds in the foreseeable future in GFL, starting with the Danis match.

Former hope of Bellator’s Welter weights, Danis has not participated in the MMA for six years and has accumulated only 2-0 dossier in the cage. Danis’ only professional fight throughout his interruption was a bizarre disqualification defeat of sixth round to Logan Paul in their October 2023 boxing match in Misfits.

On paper, Ferguson has any advantage apart from young people against his 31 -year -old enemy. And with Danis double reserve in the next KSI fight on March 29, there is a risk of injury that could change Ferguson’s plans.

Classic fashion “El Cucuy”, he will let Danis worry about all of this.

“Not my problem,” said Ferguson about Danis boxing. “I was about to lead this F *** ING fight too, so every man F *** ING is an adult man. You will have to recognize your decisions. You will understand it. If he does not do, I have a safeguard, right? But what do I say?

“I do not worry to know who I will fight because I will be the best. Whatever the F *** premium is, I am not a premium – I am not optimus prime. Tony F *** Ing Ferguson – I will fight on the legendary status of what I am already F ***.

Eight consecutive defeats would dissuade the most from continuing, and after a loss of submission in the first round to Michael Chiesa at UFC Abu Dhabi in August, Ferguson had the right to stop.

“El Cucuy” admitted that the experience was intense. He said he had fought against heat blows and illness during his trip to Abu Dhabi. To worsen things, he and his wife also made a miscarriage.

After losing against Chisea and established a UFC recording that each fighter wants the least, he had a potential retirement by removing a glove in the cage. But Ferguson had no intention of going out like that.

“I have never really been cut off from a team,” said Ferguson. “I have always worked my ass and I always found a way, even if I couldn’t play. I had broken my arm once my second year and that I changed schools – I had to sit for a whole semester of F *** ING because of the thing when you change schools. I sat down and I even said that I couldn’t play.

“I am a player of *** Ing. You will never find another professional athlete F *** like me. You could, but we are a few and all-hearts, guy.”