Tony Ferguson is a name that doesn’t go unnoticed. He has been a presence in the UFC for as long as one can remember and has earned his way to the top.

Tony Ferguson will appear in a lightweight clash against Charles Oliveira at the co-main event of UFC 256. He will look to get back to winning ways after this loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 249. In the buildup to the final PPV of the year, here are some lesser-known facts about “El Cucuy”.

Tony Ferguson turns professional fighter

At the age of 24, Tony Ferguson moved to Michigan in pursuit of happiness and finding himself. He found a variety of opportunities to continue fighting even after college wrestling. He also used it as a way to add some more weight to his pockets.

Quitting his day job just after his second professional fight, he decided to give fighting a real shot and also enjoyed the spotlight he received as an athlete. It was a rough patch financially as he spent most of his time in the gym, but looking back it was worth all the struggles!

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Tony Ferguson record and stats

At present, the UFC rankings feature Tony Ferguson sitting in third in their lightweight division. Furthermore, he is ranked at #14 in the men’s pound-for-pound rankings. He also boasts a professional record that currently stands at 26-4-0.

With 1865 strikes attempted and 832 landed, he has a striking accuracy of 45% and a grappling accuracy of 43%.

Tony Ferguson also appeared on and won ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ in its 13th season when he took on and defeated Ramsey Nijmegen with a first-round knockout at the finale in June 2011.

The Ferguson vs Khabib curse

Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov have been signed opposite each other 5 times now. However, they are yet to fight each other. They have yet to touch gloves due to a multitude of factors.

Khabib’s rib injury in 2015, Ferguson developing blood in his lungs in 2016, weight issues once again in 2016, and another freak injury in 2017 have been the reasons behind this fight being canceled.

In 2020, while everything else seemed to align, a global pandemic and travel restrictions prevented this highly anticipated match from happening. With ‘The Eagle’ now retired, we might never get to see these two men in the same octagon ever.

Read: Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson: How the Rivalry Boils Down to One Epic Showdown

The end of an impeccable run

Justin Gaethje was the man to step-in in place of Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 249. He did what 12 other fighters had tried to do for the better part of the decade and ended ‘El Cucuy’ by TKO.

Before the loss to Gaethje, Tony Ferguson had a 12-fight win streak that was spread over eight years. Not many expected it to end at the UFC’s comeback event in May. In retrospect, it will be another thing that prevented the Ferguson vs Nurmagomedov clash.

An unorthodox training method

Fans know Tony Ferguson for the antics and weird stunts he pulls off before, during the buildup, and even inside the octagon. He often shares the manner in which he trains. Here are some of the moments that stand out.

He’s been seen working out on a speed bag dressed whilst clad in business attire. He also did a variety of exercises whilst blindfolded. A video of him hitting the dumbbells just two hours after a major knee surgery is the epitome of his dedication and relentlessness. Ferguson has built himself a facility in Big Bear, California, which is where he now spends most of his time training.

No matter how out of the box his methods may seem, they bring in the desired results. That’s all that one needs to make it in the UFC.

With a highly anticipated upcoming bout this weekend, who is your money on? Tony Ferguson or Charles Oliveira?