It has been a chaotic few hours in the fight world. Whilst everyone was still discussing UFC 288 and everything that went down, something much more alarming was happening elsewhere. On May 7, UFC veteran Tony Ferguson was arrested for DUI in Hollywood.
According to the sources and reports covering the matter, Ferguson flipped his pickup truck at around 2 AM. As per TMZ, Ferguson reportedly crashed his pickup truck into 2 parked cars outside a Hollywood club on Saturday night. Further, the report clarifies that the fighter was able to make it out of his vehicle without serious injuries.
Picture of Tony Ferguson getting arrested for DUI pic.twitter.com/GYsnyapVre
— Mircea (@MMAMircea) May 7, 2023
However, the crash caused significant damage to rapper Cash Gotti’s Mercedes. Similarly, other reports also suggest that one person was injured and needed to be transported to a nearby hospital. Officers arriving at Wilcox Avenue stated that “El Cucuy” was “very uncooperative” and refused to take a field sobriety test.
Authorities were informed that Ferguson was reportedly ‘reeking’ of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes at the time of the arrest. Additionally, Ferguson is facing a misdemeanor DUI ( driving under the influence), and his license is set to be suspended for refusing the field sobriety test. Subsequently, the former interim lightweight champion was then detained with a bail set at $30,000.
What is the update on Tony Ferguson and his DUI charges?
As mentioned previously, Tony was apprehended by the police upon their arrival on the scene. As it turns out, Tony had been out on a rather wild night, allegedly hitting 4 cars in total, including the two on Wilcox Avenue. Thus, with Tony being so uncooperative with the police, it was assumed that he would be behind bars for a while.
However, this will seemingly not be the case. As it turns out, Tony was released at 12:12 pm local time on Sunday. According to sources at MMAJunkie, the UFC lightweight was released on his own recognizance. Thus, he was released without needing to post bail, but with a written promise to appear in court if and when required to do so.
Update: Tony Ferguson was released at 12:12 local time on his own recognizance. https://t.co/Z7EAPscCm5
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) May 7, 2023
For the time being, it is assumed that Tony is back with his family and close friends. Previously, in 2019, Ferguson had a restraining order filed against him by his wife, Christina. According to her, Ferguson’s drinking habits had spiraled out of control and Tony began exhibiting “frightening, irrational, and paranoid behavior.” However, the restraining order was soon dropped and Tony returned to fighting.
Unfortunately, things did not go well for him in the Octagon, with him now slipping to 5 consecutive defeats. Although he has been urged to retire, it appears that Tony will take on Kevin Lee at UFC 290. Whilst it is yet to be confirmed, it remains to be seen if the recent legal trouble will play a factor in booking Tony’s next fight or not.
