Home

Boxing

Tony Ferguson Joins Forces with Legendary Boxing Coach Freddie Roach Ahead of His UFC Return

Published 02/25/2021, 12:42 AM EST

Follow Us

via Getty

UFC lightweight, Tony Ferguson, took to social media and shared an appreciation post for famed boxing coach, Freddie Roach. ‘El Cucuy’ gave a shout-out to Roach and Wildcard Boxing Gym for having him over to train and sharpen his skills. Chiefly, Ferguson’s description of events lays out a heavy emphasis on tightening up his right hand to land bombs.

Freddie Roach has had a storied legacy of training some of the best boxers to step foot in the ring. Ferguson has been in love with showcasing his unorthodox stand-up technique and would have trained in some fundamentals with Roach.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

What’s more, the former interim champion is in need of bringing in new facets to his overall MMA game. Hence, MMA fans would be keen on seeing ‘El Cucuy’s new boxing routine in his next UFC fight.

‘Count it Up’- Max Holloway Reveals His Conversation with UFC Commentators During His Fight with Calvin Kattar

Tony Ferguson: Back to the top

El Cucuy’ came into 2020 as the number one contender ready to face Khabib Nurmagomedov in an all-time classic. However, by the end of the year, he was at the back of the line with two straight devastating losses to his name. Additionally, the skid snapped the 12-fight losing streak that made him one of the most feared lightweight contenders.

via Getty

Ferguson was TKO’ed in round five against Justin Gaethje when the two met for the interim strap at UFC 249. While he had success in certain positions, Ferguson was largely outclassed on the feet by a highly motivated Gaethje. Not to mention, his next fight in December against Charles Oliveira went horribly wrong as the Brazilian dominated him.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest Boxing stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

‘Do Bronx’ controlled the entire fight and even had Ferguson in a fight-ending armbar early on. Ferguson’s decline is highly debated by fans as either a reflection of time passing or simply a bump in the road. His next fight will be critical to determine the trajectory of his career going forward.

via Imago

There are several opponents who make sense for Tony Ferguson who is still hanging around the shortlist for contention. The 25-5 fighter could potentially face Dan Hooker, who is also fresh off a devastating loss in his last bout. It’s essential that Tony uses a diversified skill set in combat and etch his place at lightweight.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Could his stint with Roach be just what’s needed to help him spring back to the top of the rankings?

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Darryl Pinto

2,138Articles

One take at a time

Darryl Pinto is a senior MMA writer at EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his graduate degree in Mass Media (with a specialization in Journalism) out of Xavier’s College and has a year's experience in his current role. Darryl specializes in predictions, reporting, and covering UFC events live.
Show More>