Tony Ferguson did not have a good last year, losing back-to-back fights against Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira. Needless to say, Ferguson is looking to right the wrong ahead of what promises to be a barn burner against Beneil Dariush in the co-main event of UFC 262. Ferguson looked energized in the pre-fight press conference as he shared his thoughts on various things related to his mixed martial arts career.
In a conversation with ESPN journalist backstage, Tony Ferguson revealed what’s at stake going into UFC 262 against Beneil Dariush. Ferguson also revealed his lessons from the last two losses and shared how his coaches have helped him prepare for UFC 262.
“You can have a 12 fight winning streak, you can have the title, you can have it taken away. God never puts too much on our plate. The one thing I did ask for was a successful year last year, and I didn’t because I didn’t show up. I lost twice, but I gained so much out of it.”
Ferguson also revealed the advice he received from Brock Lesnar, the former UFC heavyweight champion who was his coach during his stint at The Ultimate Fighter. Ferguson went on to win the season, become the welterweight tournament winner.
It’s a do-or-die situation for Tony Ferguson
It won’t be wrong to say that Ferguson’s career is at stake going forward in his mixed martial arts journey at UFC 262. Ferguson is coming off back-to-back dominant losses and has shows signs of slowing down with age in his recent performances. Additionally, Ferguson’s losses haven’t aged well, with his last win coming against Donald Cerrone, who has not secured a win since May of 2019. Cerrone has lost five of his last six fights, with a draw to his name.
Meanwhile, Ferguson’s last win also came in the year 2019. Ferguson’s win prior to Cerrone was against Anthony Pettis, who recently lost in his PFL debut, after leaving the UFC with a win over Alex Morono. Ferguson’s last three opponents have been Cerrone, Pettis, and Kevin Lee. The Phenom has not fought in more than a year and is currently itching for a welterweight return.
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