Tony Ferguson put an end to the rough losing streak that saw him go from challenging for the UFC interim lightweight title to his departure from the premiere MMA promotion.
Ferguson, one of the most popular names in MMA, returned to competition Saturday, stopping influencer “Salt Papi” on the main card of Misfits Boxing 22 in Manchester, England. It was a celebrated moment in the MMA community, as Ferguson hadn’t won a fight since June 2019, and was on an eight-fight losing skid in which he was stopped five times.
Getting his hand raised after a lengthy, rough patch meant the world for “El Cucuy.”
“I had no tears. It was nothing but joy and just enjoying the moment for a split second because you’re talking about years of not being happy,” Ferguson told Seconds Out and other media following Misfits Boxing 22. “Not because of the loss, just because of not being happy. This is something that I always wanted to do: throw on some boxing gloves and just throw some leather. Tonight was the perfect example of that, and get rid of the nerves and get that first victory out of the way.”
Ferguson, 41, has no intention of hanging up the gloves any time soon. He wants to keep fighting boxing under Misfits, and is eager for his future.
“I needed one victory to get me back into where I need to be, which is killer mode, and to bring that confidence, so I’m able to understand who the f*ck I am,” Ferguson said. “For a long time, when the pandemic hit, I don’t know what the f*ck happened. Everything broke outside of there and I had to bring force, and it took a lot of pressure. I have no pressure on me now. I left it all inside that ring. I’m going to go back to the drawing board, listen to my coaches and figure sh*t out.”
