SUMMARY
- Tony Ferguson has been going through a tough time, losing his recent bout at UFC 296 against Paddy Pimblett.
- Tony Ferguson has been reportedly removed from the UFC roster.
It appears as if the American MMA fighter Tony Ferguson has his days in the UFC numbered. Ferguson has been going through a tough time, losing his recent bout at UFC 296 against Paddy Pimblett. With Ferguson turning 40 in February 2024, there have been calls for his retirement. However, a recent report suggested that Ferguson has already hung up his boots.
According to ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter) user @DovySimuMMA, Tony Ferguson has been reportedly removed from the UFC roster. The rumors emerged after UFC president Dana White suggested that Ferguson’s UFC career had reached its end. In a press conference after UFC 296, White said that he would love to see Ferguson retire. He said, “Tonight, Tony looked like he should retire,” following Ferguson’s defeat against Pimblett.
❌ Fighter removed: Tony Ferguson
— Dovy🔌 (@DovySimuMMA) December 19, 2023
Ferguson, however, issued a statement after UFC 296 and appeared to be in no mood to retire. ‘El Cucuy’ asked his fans to have faith and wrote, “Love My Fans & Supporters, You All Are F**kin’ Fire.” Ferguson, a former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion, made his debut 15 years ago in 2008. Once on an incredible 12-fight winning streak, Ferguson’s career is currently in a rut.
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The 39-year-old fighter has been on an unfortunate seven-fight losing streak. During the streak, Ferguson has lost via knockout or submission on four occasions. Nevertheless, there hasn’t been any official confirmation from either the UFC or Tony Ferguson about the latter’s retirement. Therefore, for the time being, Ferguson continues to be in the UFC.
Paddy Pimblett defends Tony Ferguson from retirement rumors
Meanwhile, Paddy Pimblett rushed to defend Tony Ferguson after their fight amid the retirement calls for the latter. Pimblett and Ferguson fought on the main card at UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. With the fight going the full three rounds, ‘The Baddy’ won via unanimous decision. However, the British fighter had nearly sealed his victory in the first round itself after Paddy’s barrage of shots landed Tony on the floor.
Nevertheless, Paddy Pimblett expressed his support for the American fighter after his victory and rebuked those who were calling for his retirement. He said, “It’s mad the way people are telling him to retire.” Pimblett reiterated that only Ferguson has the right to decide when he should retire. Lastly, ‘The Baddy‘ advised Tony to fight someone lower in the division to put an end to his seven-fight losing streak.
