Last week, former UFC interim champion Tony Ferguson suffered a devastating eighth consecutive loss against Michael Chiesa at UFC Abu Dhabi. In a potential retirement gesture, Ferguson left one glove inside the octagon but took the other with him, indicating uncertainty. This decision directly contradicted UFC CEO Dana White‘s desire for Ferguson to retire, citing concerns about his age and prolonged losing streak.

Despite White’s wishes, Ferguson expressed a clear desire to continue fighting in the UFC, stating, “I don’t want to retire. I really don’t. But I love the UFC, and I don’t want to go anywhere else.” Now, it seems Dana White is unhappy with Ferguson’s decision and is considering taking drastic measures. According to the MMA page @BrayMMA84,” The UFC are reportedly considering releasing Tony Ferguson from the UFC roaster if he refuses to retire. This comes after his round 1 loss to Michael Chiesa putting him at a 8-fight losing streak.”

BJ Penn was released from the UFC in 2019 due to his behavior and legal troubles stemming from a viral video of him involved in a street fight. The legal issues forced the UFC to cut ties with him to protect the promotion’s image. Interestingly, there’s a connection between BJ Penn and Tony Ferguson beyond both being removed from the UFC. Ferguson broke Penn’s previous record for the most consecutive losses in the UFC with his recent loss against Michael Chiesa.

Now, Tony Ferguson is caught in a dilemma: continue fighting like a champion, retire, or listen to Dana White. While everyone is busy speculating about his future, UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov recently passed on his best wishes to the former potential opponent, wishing him nothing but a great life ahead.

Khabib Nurmagomedov pays tribute to Tony Ferguson

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson were both unstoppable forces in the lightweight division at their peak. Sadly, fans never got to see their dream match happen, as it was canceled five times for different reasons. Despite not fighting each other, both fighters always had tremendous respect for one another. When Ferguson recently hinted at retiring, Nurmagomedov wished him nothing but well.

Nurmagomedov posted a short video message for Tony Ferguson, wishing him well on his potential retirement. He said, “Tony Ferguson retiring is not a surprise for me because he’s 40 years old. I just want to wish him all the best. He is truly one of the best [to ever compete] in the UFC. His life is just beginning because he’s just 40 years old and just finished his MMA career. Now, it’s going to be a different life, a much better life.”

Meanwhile, Dana White’s been putting a lot of pressure on Tony Ferguson to hang up his gloves, but the latter isn’t just ready yet. Everyone’s waiting to see what Tony Ferguson will do next. What do you think will happen? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.