Tony Ferguson took to social media and sent a comprehensive message to fans, addressing his loss at UFC 262. Beneil Dariush shut out ‘El Cucuy’ in the co-main event to condemn him to his third straight defeat. UFC fans considered the former interim champion as the uncrowned champion at lightweight, however, things have changed in a matter of a year.

Ferguson was out-gunned in all facets of MMA and had virtually no success against a fundamentally strong Dariush. What’s more, this has become a growing trend as Charles Oliveira beat him down in a similar fashion. With his 12-fight streak now in the rearview mirror, there are plenty of unanswered questions that persist.

Tony Ferguson: Keeping the flame burning

Tony Ferguson briefly addressed many lingering doubts regarding his future as a contender. He reaffirmed the fact that certain adjustments are being made by his team and that he was constantly looking to grow. Moreover, he also acknowledged the fact that the game had evolved and he was attempting to keep up.

Regardless of possible adjustments, the general sentiment regarding ‘El Cucuy’ is that time has just passed him by. While he’s not lost his ability to take a shot, Tony Ferguson’s skill set seems to have diminished. Many fans attribute the brutal beat down at the hands of Justin Gaethje at UFC 249 for this steady decline.

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However, it’s hard to come to terms with this narrative, especially when considering Ferguson was to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov a few months earlier. In around a calendar year, his drop-off has been steep and steadily downward trending. Through it all, he maintains that he’s working out the right combination that will get him back to the top.

The landscape of the lightweight division resembles shark-infested waters when looking at the skilled contenders. It remains to be seen if Ferguson can get his mojo back when he returns to face another ranked killer. Another slip up in his next fight will all but certainly spell the end for the fan-favorite lightweight.