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Tony Ferguson Reveals Resorting to New Training Method Ahead of UFC Abu Dhabi: ‘I Haven’t Sparred in 7 Years’
Tony Ferguson unveils an innovative training technique as he prepares for his upcoming fight at UFC Abu Dhabi.
Tony Ferguson hasn’t had a serious sparring in 7 years! Ferguson, who was once a menacing force in the UFC lightweight division, is now on the verge of retirement. His last victory in the UFC came against Donald Cerrone way back in 2019. Since then, it has been a slump for the former interim lightweight champ. Reeling from a 7-fight losing streak, Ferguson would be eager to prove himself in what could be his last match in the promotion.
In the meantime, Ferguson tried several training methods to come back into the winning mix of things. Interestingly, he also trained with David Goggins for a while and also had Goggins corner him in one of his fights. Now, looking to salvage some of his lost pride in Abu Dhabi, Tony Ferguson is back to sparring.
‘El Cucuy’ will be pitted against Michael Chiesa to feature in the upcoming UFC Abu Dhabi card. While Chiesa, too, has gone winless for three straight matches, Ferguson is looking to keep no stone unturned. Speaking with the UFC in an exclusive interview, Ferguson spilled the beans on how he has resorted to quality sparring once again.
He said, “I went back to sparring… I went back to sparring; I haven’t sparred in seven years, where I’ve had good training partners, I put in about 120 rounds or more of sparring, I put in a lot of wrestling, good training partners, good vibes, a good team.”
Ferguson then detailed that after his loss to Paddy Pimblett, he had to undergo elbow and knee surgeries. These surgeries slowed him down significantly, and Ferguson had to go back to basics to claw his way back up. El Cucuy also expressed his desire to continue to fight in the UFC in the future.
Meanwhile, the UFC head honcho does not seem too keen on Tony Ferguson continuing. Ahead of the UFC Abu Dhabi, Dana White was questioned about his take on Tony Ferguson’s future in the UFC. Without a hint of hesitation, White replied, “Yeah, I hope so. Yeah. I would like to see him retire.”
As a matter of fact, this is not the first time Dana White has wanted the veteran fighter to retire. After his UFC 296 defeat to Pimblett, White said that he wanted Ferguson to retire from the sport. Thus, with Ferguson standing in the twilight of his career, it is now up to him to prove himself for one last time and sign off as a champion.
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