UFC legend on eight-fight losing streak ‘signs for rival MMA league’ defying Dana White’s retirement pleas
Tony Ferguson will continue his MMA career and has reportedly left the UFC to join the inaugural Global Fighters League. Ferguson is an icon of Dana White‘s UFC promotion having fought since his debut on The Ultimate Fighter 13 in June 2011. Ferguson has now reportedly left the UFC having not fought since August 2024Getty During his time in the octagon, he has experience the highs and the lows, having gone on a remarkable 12-fight win streak from 2013 to 2019, which included wins over Anthony Pettis and Rafael Dos Anjos. But his form came tumbling to a huge decline, losing eight fights on the bounce from 2020 to 2024, which began with a defeat to Justin Gaethje and ended with a loss to Michael Chiesa last August. UFC president White had insisted before his defeat to Chiesa that he would like to see ‘El Cucuy’ hang up his gloves and call it a day irrespective of the outcome. Ferguson has regularly lashed back at critics over his declining career, and insists he still has more to give at the age of 40. And after departing the UFC following the conclusion of the deal, he is determined to defy pleas from White and widespread across the MMA community. Ferguson has now instead signed a deal with new MMA league Global Fighters League. He will reportedly compete as part of their growing roster, with the draft expected to take place soon before the competition’s launch in April. But it is reported he will now compete at 170lbs under the new promotional banner. When arriving, he could face controversial MMA star Dillon Danis, whom is also listed on the roster. The innovative model has been designed as a disruptor to existing MMA models, and gives fighters health insurance, retirement funds and a share of the revenue. GFLFerguson was announced by the Global Fighters League on their roster[/caption] But there has been some dispute from fighters over their contracts, with creases yet to be ironed out in full to determine the entire roster. The veteran has yet to comment publicly on the signature, amid the legitimacy of the competition being questioned, with three fighters having denied inking their contract. GFL has already announced the signings of other experienced names who used to compete in the UFC including Tyron Woodley, Fabricio Werdum, Andrei Arlovski and Luke Rockhold. Ferguson will be hoping to end his horrible run in the cage and get back to winning ways, but he is now at the back end of his career. He had a historic time in the UFC forging some epic rivalries including with former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. The pair signed to fight five times but a bout never materialised, and fans are likely to now never know what would have unfolded. Ferguson was on a dire losing streak and faced calls to put down his glovesGetty Looking back on his time in the UFC, Ferguson hasn’t truly reflected on his achievements. But he insisted that his time was different after Nurmagomedov hung up his gloves. He said: “I’ve never really sat there and thought about the wins, losses, or the trophies, or anything like that. I’ve always just been compete, compete, compete, compete. “And I know when Khabib left, a little part of me left with that. It kind of sucked a little bit, because we’ve always had that, I won’t say negative energy, but that hype that was built around that. “And then when that disappeared and the pandemic hit, and [my] f****** team left, and then just a whole bunch — there was nothing else left for me, kind of, except what I told myself was I wanted to compete. “I wanted to compete enough so that I would maybe, possibly, win or lose, Khabib would come back.”
Tony Ferguson will continue his MMA career and has reportedly left the UFC to join the inaugural Global Fighters League.
Ferguson is an icon of Dana White‘s UFC promotion having fought since his debut on The Ultimate Fighter 13 in June 2011.
During his time in the octagon, he has experience the highs and the lows, having gone on a remarkable 12-fight win streak from 2013 to 2019, which included wins over Anthony Pettis and Rafael Dos Anjos.
But his form came tumbling to a huge decline, losing eight fights on the bounce from 2020 to 2024, which began with a defeat to Justin Gaethje and ended with a loss to Michael Chiesa last August.
UFC president White had insisted before his defeat to Chiesa that he would like to see ‘El Cucuy’ hang up his gloves and call it a day irrespective of the outcome.
Ferguson has regularly lashed back at critics over his declining career, and insists he still has more to give at the age of 40.
And after departing the UFC following the conclusion of the deal, he is determined to defy pleas from White and widespread across the MMA community.
Ferguson has now instead signed a deal with new MMA league Global Fighters League.
He will reportedly compete as part of their growing roster, with the draft expected to take place soon before the competition’s launch in April.
But it is reported he will now compete at 170lbs under the new promotional banner.
When arriving, he could face controversial MMA star Dillon Danis, whom is also listed on the roster.
The innovative model has been designed as a disruptor to existing MMA models, and gives fighters health insurance, retirement funds and a share of the revenue.
But there has been some dispute from fighters over their contracts, with creases yet to be ironed out in full to determine the entire roster.
The veteran has yet to comment publicly on the signature, amid the legitimacy of the competition being questioned, with three fighters having denied inking their contract.
GFL has already announced the signings of other experienced names who used to compete in the UFC including Tyron Woodley, Fabricio Werdum, Andrei Arlovski and Luke Rockhold.
Ferguson will be hoping to end his horrible run in the cage and get back to winning ways, but he is now at the back end of his career.
He had a historic time in the UFC forging some epic rivalries including with former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The pair signed to fight five times but a bout never materialised, and fans are likely to now never know what would have unfolded.
Looking back on his time in the UFC, Ferguson hasn’t truly reflected on his achievements.
But he insisted that his time was different after Nurmagomedov hung up his gloves.
He said: “I’ve never really sat there and thought about the wins, losses, or the trophies, or anything like that. I’ve always just been compete, compete, compete, compete.
“And I know when Khabib left, a little part of me left with that. It kind of sucked a little bit, because we’ve always had that, I won’t say negative energy, but that hype that was built around that.
“And then when that disappeared and the pandemic hit, and [my] f****** team left, and then just a whole bunch — there was nothing else left for me, kind of, except what I told myself was I wanted to compete.
“I wanted to compete enough so that I would maybe, possibly, win or lose, Khabib would come back.”
