Tony Ferguson reflects on UFC departure: 'It was the hardest f*cking thing I had to do'

USA Today

04-03-2025

Tony Ferguson's release from the UFC was an emotional time in his career.
Ferguson (25-11) parted ways with the UFC after almost 14 years of competing inside the octagon. It was a successful ride for Ferguson, who kickstarted his tenure by winning Season 13 of 'The Ultimate Fighter' in 2011 en route to capturing the UFC interim lightweight championship.
However, Ferguson closed out his run on a historic downfall after amassing a UFC-record eight consecutive losses, most recently a submission to Michael Chiesa last August at UFC on ABC 7.
'I have to tell you, I packed up all my UFC stuff, I put it into bags, and it was the hardest f*cking thing I had to do,' Ferguson said Monday on 'The Ariel Helwani Show.' 'It was a couple of days where it took time for me to be able to adjust. I put everything in big storage bags, and I was ready to move on. I went into 'The Ultimate Fighter' with the purpose of winning a fat check so I can help my family out, my grandma and everything, and I ended up getting a contract. So, this whole entire process has never been a disappointment,
'But what it has been is a learning experience of how, one, about how I go about my business. Two, about how I treat my close circle. Three, about how I want to plan for the future. Right now where we're at in this stage, it's so amazing that there is an opportunity for a lot of other people to display their things and new clothes and a new jersey and a new name on the shirt. It's such a great feeling to have and a relief to move on. No bad blood anywhere, I think this is great.'
'I'm a human being'
Ferguson has already moved on. He inked a deal with the Global Fight League and said he'll fight Dillon Danis on May 11 in Los Angeles. While Ferguson is at peace with his time in the UFC, he can't help but feel bitter about some of the things that happened – including being stripped of his interim title when he withdrew from his title bout against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223 after blowing out his knee in a freak accident.
'I have fought for f*cking, I don't know how many years waiting for a championship and then getting it and then having it taken and then dangling in front of me again. Like what? What do you think I am? I'm a human being,' Ferguson said.
'I'm not trying to b*tch and moan. I'm a tough motherf*cker, and I'm a human being, but at least if you do this to me, you're not going to feel bad for doing it to the next person. And then there's a lawsuit, and there's other things, but that's not what I'm focused on. My focus is always to what? Keep the sport moving.'