UFC is no doubt a mega promotion for anyone looking to make a name for themselves in the combat sports realm. If you want to be in the right conversations and rooms for opportunities, UFC is the place to be. But even the tallest business empires have some fissures. Enter Tony Ferguson, who has decided to give Dana White a little jolt from his ‘mundane’ life by signing with the Global Fight League (GFL).

He seems to be looking for some stability which you might find in a corporate setting. We are talking about financial gains, retirement plans, and health insurance. We already know UFC has its fair share of criticism regarding fighter pay and this move by Ferguson surely stirred up the cauldron of nightmare for Dana White.

Naturally, this news has set the UFC veterans abuzz with their discussions on Ferguson’s plans, and Michael Bisping was into the mix as well. The MMA welterweight juggernaut is already 40, so he is at the twilight of his career by basic athlete standards. Even after that, ‘El Cucuy’ is a powerhouse of chaos, even though he has 8 back-to-back losses. Dana White already gave him hints about retiring, but he is not ready to walk into the sunset yet. The 26-fight winner has signed with GFL and is cutting ties with White.

Bisping spoke about the same and said, “Tony Ferguson just signed with the GFL as well. Or is it PFL? He has left the UFC anyway. I put a tweet out earlier saying that he’d be tired. It’s the same s–t anyway isn’t it? I mean, he lost seven in a row in the UFC. He had a legendary career Tony Ferguson is the absolute man, right? What a career, what a fighter.”

But the ex-UFC fighter also mentioned that his chaotic nature made the fights more entertaining. He was a great addition to UFC. It’s not surprising that Ferguson took a chance with GFL launching in 2025, since he is an adventurous guy. But why did he make a move into GFL?

What does GFL have that UFC does not?

GFL is set to launch in 2025 and is offering fighters something that UFC has not yet embraced. GFL is giving a 50% revenue divide and a team-based format with financial benefits and security. 10 weight classes with 6 team drafting fighters sounds splendid, doesn’t it? On top of that, Ferguson’s name on the banner makes the promotion more concrete.

Coming onto Instagram, Ferguson affirmed that he had signed up under the pennant of the GFL. In the caption, ‘El Cucuy’ wrote, “Draft🦹‍♂️Day Oh S—, Let’s Go!!! ⚔️🕶️ -CSO- 🇺🇸🏆🇲🇽 # @globalfightleague 🥇.” He truly loves fighting because once while talking to Dimitrius Johnson he said, “We’re probably going to take the rest of the season, figure some things out, and we’re coming back hard either January or February… F–k no I’m not retiring, I’m too old to retire.”

Global Fight League has already signed Tyron Woodley, Luke Rockhold, and Fabricio Werdum. At the age of 40, Ferguson has taken a calculated step which hits two birds with one stone. He gets to keep his fighting career and also gets more benefits like health insurance. But one question remains: Will he be able to go back on track after 8 back-to-back losses and dominate the cage in the new promotion?

Let’s wait and watch. What do you think of his decision to join the GFL?