Tony Ferguson Still Not Retiring
MMA has a harsh way of dealing with its aging fighters. After they are past their prime, the sport is very unforgiving and stays still for nobody. Tony Ferguson, fresh off his loss to Paddy Pimblett, took to social media to say he still doesn’t want to retire from the sport. Does he really need to keep doing this?
Come on Tony, That’s Seven Defeats in a Row
MMA news sites were quick to point out that after Tony Ferguson’s fight at UFC 296, his losing streak was extended to seven consecutive fights. Is there a better definition of retirement form than becoming the joint record holder for the longest losing streak? It has seen a lot of his fans ask him to retire with grace. After all, if he steps into the octagon and loses again, he will break the existing record and enter a twilight zone of unwanted records in UFC history. While he clearly has in his mind that he can compete with the top fighters in the UFC, as he was saying in the press conference before this fight at 39 years old, maybe his body can’t keep up. Everyone around him, including voices from Daniel Cormier, applauded his efforts at UFC 296 but still indicated that he should call it a day.
Does UFC Owe Him a Break?
At this point, Dana White and the company will see the pattern that MMA news websites are reporting. Tony Ferguson is not at the required level to fight in the UFC. He is not an ultimate fighter anymore. The promotion should honor his stature and prevent him from damaging his legacy anymore. While Ferguson is still a very marketable fighter, and the company stands to earn lots more money by booking him, it would be nice to see them take the moral high ground.
Even if it’s a temporary break, it would be nice to see the UFC offer him a journalistic role or an associate to the company, allowing him the rest from competitive action but keeping him around as fans still want to see him in some capacity.
Other Opportunities Outside the UFC
Another thought is that Ferguson could wake up and smell the coffee himself. He’s not the fighter he used to be at all. The UFC is no place for fighters on such a downward trajectory. If he wants to keep fighting, he would be better served trying to find another lower-quality promotion to fight in where he could realistically triumph.
He could go to any of Brave CF, OKTAGON, or even the ONE Championship and potentially win some fights. If he gets enough of them and wins them all before he turns 50, he could even get another run in the UFC. Many disgruntled MMA fighters have turned to the BKFC to try their hand at bare-knuckle boxing. He would most certainly make a few dollars doing that.
How Bad Could it get?
Ok, let’s say that Ferguson has no plans to break away from the sport. He will remain an active fighter in the UFC or elsewhere. The aim is to rebuild his career. But how bad could this get for him? Well, some will say that his legacy will be untarnished. No matter if he loses another ten on the bounce in the doldrums of Mexico’s underground fighting scene, nobody can take away his prior career.
It’s more likely that his record will be tarred, over, tarnished. MMA fans of yesteryear will recall the man who made Kevin Lee tap out, the man who stopped Antony Pettis, etc. Yet newer fans, the future of the MMA following, will see him as the Al Snow or Zack Ryder of the sport. An MMA jobber who is simply around to get other people over and bolster opposition records. That’s not what anyone wants. However, depending on who you ask, some will say he’s already at this point, hence why some fight fans are asking him to call it a day now.
Will Fighting Ferguson Mean Anything in 2024?
When Justin Gaethje defeated Tony Ferguson in 2020 at UFC 249, it meant a lot and was a big deal. Ferguson was at 25-3, and the fight was for the interim lightweight championship. This was a grizzled fighter who had been tearing up the UFC with one loss in the promotion and a 12-match winning streak. Gaethje was propelled to superstar status with the win over the Ultimate Fighter 13 winner.
Fast forward to the present day, and Tony Ferguson simply doesn’t carry the same weight as an opponent. Sean O’Malley infamously said that Paddy Pimblett had very little to gain from defeating Ferguson in this fight. Given that he’s now in a rut of seven losses, who can earn anything from beating a man who is expected to lose?
Debuting UFC fighters might benefit from having the Ferguson name on their resume. However, this would mean that Ferguson would probably have to drop off the main card status of PPVs. Yet a man of his former status fighting on any undercard just seems wrong.
What Does Ferguson Have Left to Prove?
Despite all the conjecture around Ferguson’s career having reached its endpoint, he seems vehemently dedicated to staying active. While his Instagram post was fairly cryptic, he was essentially calling out MMA journalists who he believes were trying to make MMA breaking news with the narrative that he should retire.
Yet, with the best of intentions, what does Ferguson have left to prove or achieve in the sport? He put together an outrageously good winning streak, won a championship, headlined multiple PPVs, and entertained millions of fans with his great performances. He is broaching the ‘video game complete’ status. Given he will turn 40 in February 2024, does he still need to do this?
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