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Former interim UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson apparently developed a fondness for boxing after tonight's SHOWTIME PPV headlined by Jake Paul and Tyron Woodley.
'El Cucuy' took to Twitter to share his thoughts after the event.
This was Tyron Woodley's first professional boxing bout. The former UFC welterweight champion went toe-to-toe with still-undefeated YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
Both fighters had their moments during the fight. While Tyron Woodley seemed to connect better with power shots, Jake Paul did well in mixing up his strikes and dishing out combinations. The fight went the distance of eight rounds. Jake Paul won a split decision victory with two judges scoring the fight 78-74 and 77-5 in his favor and one judge had it 77-75 for Woodley.
Why Tyron Woodley's example fits Tony Ferguson perfectly
Before Tyron Woodley's fight against Jake Paul, he was on a four-fight losing streak in the UFC. After losing his welterweight title to Kamaru Usman in March 2019, 'The Chosen One' went on a terrible streak inside the octagon, picking up losses against Gilbert Burns, Colby Covington and Vicente Luque.
Similarly, Tony Ferguson has not been able to muster a win inside the octagon since May 2020.
Ferguson was scheduled to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 249. However, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the fifth cancelation of the pairing. 'The Highlight' Justin Gaethje stepped in to challenge Tony Ferguson for the interim lightweight title.
At the time, Tony Ferguson was riding an impeccable 12-fight win streak. However, 'El Cucuy' looked to be in a complete mismatch against Gaethje. 'The Highlight' pieced up Ferguson, landing bombs throughout the fight.
Herb Dean called a stop to the contest in the fifth round after Gaethje's relentless, precise striking had 'El Cucuy' struggling to defend himself. It is worth noting that Tony Ferguson's chin held fast even after taking immense punishment from Justin Gaethje.
After the Gaethje fight, Tony Ferguson was outclassed by Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush at UFC 256 and UFC 262, respectively. An important point to note is that both fighters had Ferguson's number on the ground despite his proven jiu-jitsu skills, especially off his back.
It is fair to assume that Tony Ferguson has passed the peak of his MMA career for good. However, the thirty-seven-year-old could very well stir up some big paychecks if he decides to follow in Tyron Woodley's footsteps and enter the world of celebrity boxing.
Although Ferguson may not be as effective inside the octagon as he once was, he remains one of the greatest fighters the world of combat sports has ever seen. His entertaining style and adept striking could do well to make him some big bucks before he draws the curtains on his fighting career.
