Tony Ferguson gets advice from 'Big' John McCarthy

Tony Ferguson, in his latest octagon appearance, was on the wrong end of a highlight-reel knockout delivered by Michael Chandler. The loss extended his current skid to four losses in a row.

Ferguson was reflective in defeat and determined that it was time for 'El Cucuy' to join a more organized and structured fight team. Ferguson had previously been doing most of his training on his own, without the benefit of a team of up-and-coming fighters to work with. Ferguson's reputation preceded him and consequently he recieved many invitations to renowned MMA gyms and teams.

Ferguson most recently posted footage of himself training at the illustrious Jackson-Wink MMA academy in Alburquerque, New Mexico. The gym was once the home of Jon Jones. On an episode of the WEIGHING IN podcast, MMA referee 'Big' John McCarthy lauded Tony for his recent decision. He said:

"It's a great fit and it's something Tony that needs. The one thing that if I was talking to Tony I would tell him - 'Hey don't try to be in charge of your training. Let them be in charge of your training. When they tell you to back off, back the f*** off... Follow what they give you and you're going to come out with a win."

Although some believed that Ferguson's fourth consecutive loss meant it was time for him to hang up the gloves, it doesn't seem like 'El Cucuy' is ready to retire from the sport. Watch his training footage at Jackson Wink MMA below:

Josh Thomson says Tony Ferguson needs to work on fighting a different way

In the same episode, McCarthy's co-host and former UFC lightweight Josh Thomson offered his insight. Thomson had shared the octagon with Ferguson back in 2015 and he remains the only man to knock out Nate Diaz. Thomson said:

"He [Tony Ferguson] needs to work on fighting a different way...When he fought me, he was in his prime. He was somebody that could push the pace, he could take a shot... During those times... he's gotten away with not using the proper technique at times, because he was so good at being creative... as you get older you've got to make those adjustments with what you can get away with... He's gotta fine-tune and use a little bit more technique to avoid the damage." [sic]

Especially after fighting Justin Gaethje, when Tony Ferguson took an immense amount of punishment, many claimed that 'El Cucuy' needed to be disciplined and hone his defensive techniques to avoid taking unnecessary damage.

You can watch the full episode of 'WEIGHING IN' below: