Tony Ferguson Weighs Up Potential Welterweight Return: ‘I Knocked Everybody Out Up There’
Tasked with snapping a four-fight losing skid in his return to the Octagon, former interim UFC lightweight champion, Tony Ferguson has flirted with a potential move to the welterweight ranks upon his return – winning The Ultimate Fighter 13 during a successful stint at 170lbs.
Tony Ferguson, who featured in a high-stakes UFC 274 main card clash with one-time vacant title challenger, Michael Chandler last weekend in Phoenix, Arizona – suffered a stunning second front kick knockout loss to the Missouri native – dropping the first KO loss of his lengthy mixed martial arts career.
The Oxnard native had taken the opening round on all three judges scorecards, dropping Chandler with a left hand during an exchange, as well as working actively off his back after he was taken down midway through the opening frame.
However, the devastating knockout loss came as Ferguson’s fourth consecutive defeat under the promotion’s banner, following prior one-sided losses against Beneil Dariush, former champion, Charles Oliveira, and fellow former interim titleholder, Justin Gaethje.
Tony Ferguson landed four knockout victories during his successful season on TUF
Entering the UFC off the back of a successful tenure on The Ultimate Fighter 13 back in 2011, Ferguson won the tournament with a finale knockout victory over Ramsey Nijem, before immediately moving to the lightweight limit in his promotional bow.
Weighing up both his fighting future off the back of his shocking knockout loss, Tony Ferguson welcomed the opportunity to fight at 170lbs again in his return, pointing to the fact that he found noteworthy success at welterweight in the past.
“I wouldn’t mind going back up to 170,” Tony Ferguson said during an interview with MMA Junkie reporter, Mike Bohn. “I knocked everybody out up there at 170. This cut to 155 – it’s not too hard, but I lose a lot of muscle mass, man. I f*cking hate being skinny like that, I look like a little b*tch, I don’t f*cking like that.”
“I work my ass off to put on muscle and make sure that I eat right, and I do that – and my pops always told me, ‘Anthony, wrestle at your own bodyweight.’ And I haven’t done that for a while. What I did for the last year and a half was, I just stopped everything and I just paid attention to everything other people were doing…”
As far as his fighting future is concerned, Ferguson remains confident of remaining under the banner of the promotion regardless of his current skid – recently penning a new, multi-fight deal. And when the time comes for his return to active competition, he expects the UFC to reach out.
“When I’m ready to fight I will let the UFC know, and I guarantee you they’ll let me know, too, ‘Hey, this is who we have.’” Tony Ferguson said. “I was ready for (Islam) Makhachev in Abu Dhabi if some things would’ve been a little bit different. But I try to take these opportunities and present them so I’m there for the company. They know I’m a company man, and that’s why they said I’m not going anywhere.”
