Tony Ferguson celebrates after defeating Abel Trujillo in their fight during the UFC 181 event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on December 6, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/Getty Images)
Tony Ferguson has shown warrior mentality in his recent outings refusing to tap despite being having his back against the wall
Ferguson is in the worst phase of his MMA career. He is on a three-fight skid, with no wins in the last 2 years, out of the lightweight top 5; the list is endless.
He came into the fight against Beneil Dariush at UFC 262 hoping to get back on track, after a devastating unanimous decision loss against Charles Oliveira at UFC 256. But, he failed miserably once again.
However, there was something that stood out in both these fights. A thin streak of optimism in a largely negative outcome. Ferguson refused to tap in both these matches, despite being caught in a deep armbar at UFC 256 and a deep heel hook at UFC 262.
Ferguson’s arm was almost broken by Oliveira, whereas Dariush stated after the match at UFC 262 that he heard Ferguson’s knee pop.
‘El Cucuy’s immaculate toughness was largely appreciated by many, although it came at the cost of severe damage to his ligaments.
Ferguson recently took to Instagram to post an edited image of himself giving a ‘thumbs up’, while being caught by both Oliveira and Dariush in the respective submission positions.
The caption for his post was quite exhaustive, where he revealed that he would come back soon, and this was what he enjoyed doing.
A part of his caption read:
“An Active Fighter Is What I Wanted To Be. This Is What I Enjoy Doing. I’m Competing Regularly Again For The Fans & Supporters Instead Of Once A Year…The Game Has Changed & My Athleticism Recognizes What Needs To Happen. Beyond Hungrier Than A 155lb Weight Cut. Washed Up… Slightly, We’re Cleaning Up My Game Better & Better Mi Gente. Taking Longer Than I Wanted, But Hey Anything Can Happen In Snap Down City!!! Don’t Count Me Out, We’re Still Growing.”
The updated rankings after the conclusion of UFC 262 saw ‘El Cucuy’ Tony Ferguson exit the top 5 of the lightweight rankings. He dropped one place down to number 6, making way for Conor McGregor to re-enter the top 5.
Ferguson’s opponent, Beneil Dariush jumped 6 places from number 9 to number 3, and might be staring at a title fight soon.
However, Ferguson still believes he can come back to relevance, after recently dismissing talks of retirement.
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