“January 18th I will be back in the cage and it will be a fight in Las Vegas. The name of the opponent is still unknown, but I don't care who I fight. In January you will see my return. Then I want to fight the winner of Nate Diaz vs Jorge Masvidal, and then I'm going to fight whoever wins Khabib vs Tony Ferguson. But the revenge with Khabib is inevitable and it should take place in Moscow. Russian fans deserve it!”
Jon Jones hinted at Tony Ferguson's mental problems and then deleted the Tweet
Jon Jones, taken aback by Ferguson's posts, responded on Twitter and hinted at Ferguson's mental health issues earlier this year. “Wait, when did this skirmish start?!? I thought we were cool! Are you thinking about suicide there, Tony?” When Jones' tweet was met with strong criticism from fans, he deleted it after about 30 minutes and issued an apology. “Definitely should have used a better choice of words by deleting the last tweet. It's my fault guys, I'm sorry!"
Umar Nurmagomedov: "Fedor Emelianenko brought this sport to Russia"
“Fyodor Emelianenko brought this sport to Russia. He laid the foundation for it,” Umar Nurmagomedov said at a press conference with Gorilla Energy in Moscow. Khabib continued. Fedor's contribution is more significant, because everyone looked up to him. But Khabib can catch up with him. If he wins Tony Ferguson, Georges St-Pierre and has a rematch with Conor McGregor, MMA will become much more popular in Russia.”
Country: USA
Anthony Armand "Tony" Ferguson (born February 12, 1984) is an American MMA fighter who competes in the UFC lightweight division. Ferguson is the winner of the 13th season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show. He is currently ranked second in the UFC lightweight rankings.
Tony Ferguson was born in Muskegon, Michigan and has Mexican blood in his blood. Ferguson's father introduced the boy to the sport from an early age. Ferguson was a very athletic youth, playing American football, baseball and freestyle wrestling.
After graduating from college, Ferguson entered Central Michigan University and then transferred to Grand Valley University. He won NCWA status twice, and won the NCWA 165lb National Champion.
Ferguson moved back to California to be closer to his family, working in sales during the day and bartending at night. Once the owner of the bar, having learned about Ferguson's wrestling background, invited him to train young MMA fighters.
Ferguson began his professional MMA career in 2008, and prior to signing with the UFC, he was 10-2.
Ferguson signed with the UFC in 2011 to compete on the new season of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos.
Ferguson's first opponent on the show was Justin Edwards, whom he defeated by knockout (apkick). This victory allowed Tony to advance to the quarterfinals, where he quickly knocked out Ryan McGillivray.
In the semi-finals, Tony faced Chuck O'Neal in a cage, and defeated him by TKO in the third round, entering the final duel with Ramsey Nijem.
Ferguson made his official UFC debut at The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale against Ramsey Nijem, in a bout that was supposed to determine the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 13. Ferguson won by knockout in the first round, thus winning the Ultimate Fighter Season 13. In addition, Tony received bonus for "Knockout of the Night".
Ferguson returned to lightweight and fought Aaron Riley on September 24, 2011 at UFC 135 in a TKO victory.
Ferguson next faced MMA veteran Yves Edwards at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale. Ferguson won by unanimous decision.
Ferguson was scheduled to fight Dennis Hallman next on May 5, 2012 at UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller. However, Hallman pulled out of the fight due to injury and was replaced by Thiago Tavares. Soon, Tavares also withdrew due to injury, as a result, Michael Johnson entered the octagon against Tony, who won by unanimous decision.
Ferguson returned to the cage on October 19, 2013 at UFC 166. He defeated Mike Rio via choke submission (D'arce choke) in the first round. This win also earned Tony a Submission of the Night bonus.
Ferguson fought Katsunori Kikuno on May 24, 2014 at UFC 173 and won via knockout in the first round.
Ferguson was scheduled to fight Danny Castillo on August 2, 2014 at UFC 176, but that event was canceled and the Castillo-Ferguson fight was rescheduled for August 30, 2014 at UFC 177. Ferguson won via split decision.
On December 6, 2014, Ferguson fought Abel Trujillo at UFC 181. After an unsuccessful first round, Ferguson won the fight via submission in the 2nd round.
Ferguson was expected to fight Yancy Medeiros next on February 28, 2015 at UFC 184, but Medeiros pulled out of the bout and was replaced by Gleison Tibau. Ferguson won via submission in the first round, again earning a bonus for "Performance of the Night.
Ferguson fought Josh Thomson on July 15, 2015 at UFC Fight Night 71. He won by decision and received a Performance of the Night bonus.
Ferguson was scheduled to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov on December 11, 2015 at The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale, but Nurmagomedov pulled out of the bout in October due to injury and was replaced by Edson Barboza. Ferguson finished the Brazilian by submission (D'arce choke) in the second round, and again received a bonus for "Performance of the Night" and another bonus for "Fight of the Night".
A rematch with Michael Johnson was scheduled for March 5, 2016 at UFC 196, but on January 27, it was announced that Johnson was pulling out of the fight due to injury. Instead of Johnson, Tony was matched against Khabib Nurmagomedov on April 16, 2016 at UFC on Fox 19. However, on April 5, Ferguson pulled out of the bout and was replaced by promotional debutant Darrell Horcher.
Ferguson was scheduled to face Michael Chiesa on July 13, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 91. However, Chiesa pulled out of the fight due to injury and was replaced by UFC newcomer Landon Vannata. Despite the fact that Ferguson was knocked down in the first round, and almost lost ahead of time, he still managed to defeat Vannata by submission in the 2nd round. Both fighters received Fight of the Night bonuses.
Ferguson fought Rafael dos Anjos on November 5, 2016 at The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 Finale. He won by unanimous decision, and both athletes received bonuses for the "Fight of the Night".
Ferguson next fights Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 209 for the interim UFC lightweight title.
Fight history
| Rival | Result | Date/Tournament | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Pettis | Victory | 07.10.2018 UFC 229: Khabib v McGregor |
TKO (Technical knockout), round 2 5:00 | |
| Kevin Lee | Victory | 08.10.2017 UFC 216 FERGUSON VS. LEE |
after a choke hold (triangle) in the 3rd round | |
| Rafael dos Anjos | Victory | 06.11.2016 UFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs. Ferguson |
Tony Ferguson defeated Rafael dos Anjus via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) | |
| Lando Vannata | Victory | 13.07.2016 UFC Fight Night 91: McDonald vs. Lineker |
Submission P2 | |
| Edson Barbosa | Victory | 11.12.2015 UFC - The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale |
Submission (Brabo Choke) 2 round 2:54 | |
| Josh Thomson | Victory | 15.07.2015 UFC Fight Night 71 - Mir vs. Duffee |
Decision (Unanimous) 3 round 5:00 | |
| Gleison Tibau | Victory | 28.02.2015 |
As expected by experts, the confrontation between Tony Ferguson and Anthony Pettis ended in Tony's victory. The entire first round, this fighter was clearly in the lead, conducting one series of attacks after another. Anthony was less active, making only a couple of dangerous counteroffensives.
However, the second round of Anthony Pettis started more spectacular - he sent the opponent into a powerful knockdown, after which it took him a long time to tune in to the confrontation on the ground. Getting to his feet more or less confidently, Ferguson began to stubbornly crack down on his opponent at the net, literally squeezing him in the ring of his strong kicks and punches.
As a result of the second round, Tony's victory was announced by technical knockout, since the doctor, after examining the bloody Pettis, forbade him to continue the fight.
As you know, Tony Ferguson was preparing for today's fight after a torn knee ligament. Having healed his wound and regained his health and strength, he returned to UFC 229 to face Anthony Pettis.
In MMA, Tony is known as a versatile fighter, but he started with a freestyle. Ferguson's main strengths are stamina, unpredictability and quick reaction times.
In technical terms, he demonstrates some negligence - this is especially noticeable in weak defense, when after the blows his hands do not return to the desired position, as expected, but go into “free flight”. Another sin of Tony's is the habit of running after opponents, instead of cutting corners competently.
Ferguson is great with his elbows, using powerful roundhouse kicks and long uppercuts. In wrestling, he can be really dangerous, especially when throwing a "triangle" or performing a D'Arce choke.
As for Anthony, he is a taekwondo and jiu-jitsu master. This fighter has high speed and skill. The obvious advantages of Pettis also include the ability to subtly feel time and distance.
In order to show his strengths, Anthony tends not to get close to the opponent. He needs a lot of free space to make strong attacks with his legs. This fighter's favorite moves are expressive back, high and middle kicks. He also knows how to work with his hands: he makes good jabs and right singles.
Pettis' weakness is that he doesn't handle pressure well. If he is limited in space for maneuvers - write wasted. The same can be said about his wrestling skills. However, sometimes Pettis shows sweeps, "triangles" and "guillotines" from which it is almost impossible to get out, so that the tenacity of a fighter can force anyone to admit defeat.
Tony "El Cucuy" Ferguson is a Mexican American mixed fighter. A brilliant indomitable mixed martial arts fighter, he is called the Mexican devil, he is a bright MMA star, the owner of a unique spectacular technique and the title of interim world champion in mixed martial arts in lightweight.early years
The athlete was born on February 12, 1984 in the Californian town of Oxnard, located on the Pacific coast. The boy's mother, Mary, immediately after the birth of her son, married the Scot Armand Ferguson, who replaced Tony's biological father. When the future champion was in elementary school, the family moved to Muskegon, Michigan, where his stepfather bought a small bar. 
Armand raised Tony as his own son, taking a direct part in the fate of the boy, who was naturally shy and not very sociable. To help his son get rid of shyness, adapt to a new school and make friends, Armand took Tony to the boxing section. Much later, the athlete will say in an interview that he owes his victories in sports and in life to his father.
UFC career
Tony made his first achievements in sports in high school, where he was involved in wrestling, basketball and rugby at the same time, and it was these successes that helped him receive a grant to study at the prestigious University of Michigan. For more than three years at the university, Tony several times became the winner of student wrestling competitions, and was also fond of martial arts. 
However, Tony did not become a specialist in the field of oil and gas production, which would have been indicated in his diploma. The news of the death of his mother was a real blow for the fighter, and in order not to fall into depression, he began to train hard, abandoning his studies. Leaving the university, Tony returned home and worked in his father's bar. Work in the bar Ferguson still remembers with nostalgia.
Pouring beer to people, being in this atmosphere of fun is a thrill.
After talking with one of the clients, he, having learned about Tony's success, invited him to the training base of MMA fighters. The first training was not easy for the guy, despite his sports past. In the dressing room he vomited. It was already two months later he entered the regimen and quit his job as a bartender. 
In 2008, Ferguson began competing in MMA shows among welterweight fighters, having received a fighter's license. From the first fights, the newcomer demonstrated an aggressive fighting technique, and in the first two years he lost only 2 fights out of 12 - to Joe Schilling and Karen Darabedyan.
In 2011, Tony signed a contract with the UFC, the largest mixed martial arts organization. In the UFC ring, he first met Ramsay Nijem and knocked him out in the first round.
The fighter became a member of the reality The Ultimate Fighter, where he was mentored by Brock Lesnar. It was then that Ferguson's artistry manifested itself - it seemed that any little thing could piss him off. He succumbed to provocations, got involved in fights.
To participate in fights, Ferguson chose the frightening pseudonym "El Cucuy" ("nightmare"), which reflected his Mexican origin and impudent character.
Of the 15 fights (as of October 2018) in the UFC, Tony Ferguson lost only one, with Michael Johnson, losing to him on points (13:3). In battle, he broke his arm and took a break for six months, and when he returned, he never let anyone down.
Tony Ferguson. Best Moments
Most of Ferguson's opponents gave up as a result of masterful choke holds, or were knocked out. The list of Tony's victories is truly impressive, among the fighters he defeated are such athletes as Danny Castillo, Edson Barbosa, Lando Vannata, Katsunori Kikuno and others.
For several years of participation in fights, the athlete showed his outstanding abilities and honed his unique fighting technique, combining techniques from boxing and jiu-jitsu. With a height of 183 centimeters and a weight of 70 kilograms, Ferguson has become the undoubted favorite among lightweight fighters.
Personal life of Tony Ferguson
The athlete lives in Los Santos, California with his family. An indestructible ruthless gladiator in the ring, in life he is a loving father and caring husband. He has known his future wife Kristin since his university days. 
In 2012, the young people got married, and in 2016 their first child was born, a boy whom Tony named Armand Anthony, in memory of his stepfather, whom he loved like his own father.
Tony Ferguson is fond of cars, likes to make long trips with his wife and child. He has an impressive collection of edged weapons, most of which was donated to him by friends and fans.
However, in early 2018, it turned out that not everything in the family was as smooth as it seemed. Tony Ferguson started seeing a therapist after his wife filed a police report against him. A recording of Christine's conversation with a 911 dispatcher came into the possession of the press. In the dialogue, the woman claims that Tony did not harm her and the child, but did strange things, for example, splashed holy water in her face. Based on several interviews with Kristin, it can also be concluded that Tony Ferguson suffers from hallucinations, uncontrollable bouts of violence and obsessions. When she went to the police and got a ban on approaching Tony to her and the child, the fighter agreed to visit a psychotherapist and soon posted the following post on Instagram:
“The appointment helped, thank you doctor. It wasn't as bad as I thought. I really look forward to my next visit. Thanks for support.
Tony Ferguson now
In 2017, Tony defeated Kevin Lee, winning the fight in the last round with his famous choke hold. A year later, in October 2018, El Cucuy pleased his fans with a victory over reigning champion Anthony Pettis. It was a spectacular fight, as a result of which the octagon was sprinkled with the blood of Pettis.Tony Ferguson. Documentary
The mixfighter that El Kukuy still longs to fight is Dagestani Khabib Nurmagomedov. They could have met in the octagon back in 2016, but the fight was postponed several times for one reason or another. After Nurmagomedov's victory over
Interestingly, Michael Johnson, whom Ferguson lost to in May 2012, that is, in fact, at the beginning of his UFC career, lost to Nurmagomedov in November 2016. On the other hand, the Dagestani defeated Trujillo and Barbosa by decision, and Ferguson forced them to surrender with a choke hold.
Back in the spring of 2018, when the fight between Ferguson and Nurmagomedov was supposed to take place (as a result, the Russian fought with Al Iaquinta), McGregor's coach shared his prediction. He believes that both Khabib and Tony are excellent grapplers (i.e. good at wrestling technique, not punching). According to him, the fight will last 5 rounds, Nurmagomedov will dominate and win by decision of the judges. But Ferguson, as he called himself, “a beast of another level” – we have no doubt that he will present more than one surprise to his opponent.
Tony Ferguson is a famous athlete, mixed martial arts fighter, performing in the lightweight division. His unique fighting technique made him a difficult opponent and brought him many awards. Tony's fights are always very spectacular, and he regularly receives bonuses for the best performance of the evening.
Childhood and youth
Anthony Armand Ferguson was born on February 12, 1984 in Oxnard, California. He does not know his biological father: immediately after the birth of his son, his mother Mary remarried. The Scot Armand Ferguson raised the boy and gave him his last name.
When the future eminent athlete went to school, the family moved to Michigan, to Muskegon County, where his stepfather became the owner of a small bar. Anthony grew up shy and uncommunicative, so Armand early began to introduce him to the sport. Immediately after entering a new school, he took the boy to the boxing section, and later encouraged him to play basketball and rugby. Having become a professional fighter, the athlete in an interview thanked his stepfather for guiding him on the right path, and stated that he owed his career to him.
In high school, Tony began to make noticeable athletic success, which helped him receive a grant to enter Central Michigan University, the most prestigious educational institution in the state.
The young man chose a faculty that trained specialists in the field of oil and gas, but after studying for 3.5 years, he left his studies. The reason was the death of his mother, which became a blow to Tony. To distract himself from bitter thoughts, he plunged into training, and after a while abandoned his studies at the university.
Ferguson returned home to Muskegon and began helping his father in the bar. Subsequently, he recalled this time with pleasure - he liked the cheerful, carefree atmosphere of the establishment, and the bartender's work itself seemed uncomplicated. Once among the clients there was a man who invited him to the training center of MMA fighters, and Tony liked what he saw so much that he decided to try his hand at this field of martial arts.
martial arts
Despite a good base, at first training was difficult for Ferguson - his muscles ached, he was very sick, but this did not stop the future star of the ring. 2 months passed, and he plunged headlong into a new hobby, leaving the job of a bartender. In 2008, Anthony received a fighter's license and began to compete in the welterweight division. Aggressive and peculiar fighting technique began to manifest itself in his very first performances. In the first 2 years of his career, Ferguson lost 2 out of 12 fights.
In 2011, Tony was offered a contract with the UFC, the largest fight organizing company. He agreed and in the same year met Ramsay Nijem for the first time in the ring, knocking him out in the first round. Ferguson soon became a member of the reality show The Ultimate Fighter and began to train under the guidance of Brock Lesnar.
The show helped him fully reveal his character and artistry. In the ring, Tony was considered a hot-tempered fighter, easily succumbed to provocations and quickly lost his temper. It was then that he took the pseudonym El Cucuy - this is the name of a mystical ghostly monster that scares children in Latin American countries. His unique fighting technique is a combination of boxing techniques with "chips" borrowed from jiu-jitsu.
Although Ferguson entered the 170-pound tournament at The Ultimate Fighter, he opted to fight at lightweight for regular fights in the UFC. Soon the list of victories was supplemented by brilliant fights with Aaron Riley and Eyves Edwards. Tony lost his 4th fight under the UFC banner, but, as fans noticed, the failures motivated Tony, not demoralized. Immediately after that, he scored 10 victories in a row (to this day this result remains the best in the division) and received the fame of a real threat to other fighters in the lightweight division.
By October 2015, Anthony had 15 fights in the UFC behind him, of which 14 were victorious - he suffered the only defeat with a score of 13: 3 from. That fight ended for Tony with a broken arm, because of which he interrupted training for six months, and then returned to the ring again - rested, vigorous and dangerous.
Most of Anthony's opponents either knock out or incapacitate him with chokeholds, which he masterfully masters. His record of victories is impressive: Ferguson has won fights with such ring stars as Danny Castillo, Lando Vannata, Katsunori Kikuno and others. In 2017, Tony won the duel with, ending his famous chokehold.
For his sports biography, Ferguson has never managed to defeat the Dagestanis, and now, according to Anthony, this is his most desirable opponent. Tony had a difficult relationship with the ex-champion. On December 30, 2017, their fight was supposed to take place, but it was canceled - McGregor behaved aggressively towards the judge at the previous competition, and the UFC decided to punish the athlete in this way.
The fans were very upset by this decision, since the fight promised to be especially bright and spectacular. Accusations appeared on the Web that Conor attacked the referee on purpose in order to “merge” from the fight and not lose face, because he realized that Ferguson was “too tough for him”. Tony accused McGregor of cowardice through the media and threw out to him:
"Come back when you're a man."
Personal life
The athlete is married, he met his future wife Christine as a student. They played a wedding in 2012, and 4 years later they had a son. Anthony named him Armand after his stepfather. Now the family lives in Los Santos, California, and Ferguson tries to devote more time to his personal life, despite an intense training regimen.
In addition to sports, Anthony has another passion - cars. He loves to take long trips with his family. In addition, the fighter has collected an impressive collection of edged weapons, most of the exhibits of which are gifts from fans and friends.
