At the end of January 2025, MMA (mixed martial arts) fans were saddened when the legendary fighter Tony Ferguson officially left the prestigious UFC arena. The failure to renew his contract and his departure from the world's leading fighting arena marked the end of the 40-year-old fighter's peak career.
Tony Ferguson is known as one of the rare high-level fighters whose training and fighting style is heavily influenced by Wing Chun – a martial art originating from China often considered less effective in real combat. Combining Wing Chun with freestyle wrestling, boxing, jiu-jitsu, and Muay Thai, the American fighter rose to the top for 10 years (from 2008 to 2019).
However, the end of the 1984-born boxer's career left his fans feeling sad. Tony Ferguson's career declined significantly over the past five years with a streak of eight consecutive losses. From being a top fighter, he became a target of ridicule and mockery on social media.
The knockout blow left Tony Ferguson unconscious and with temporary amnesia.
One of the most iconic defeats during Tony Ferguson's slump was his fight against Michael Chandler in 2022. This was supposed to be his chance to rediscover his winning form after a run of three consecutive losses. Tony Ferguson fought well in the first round but was knocked out in the second by a devastating kick.
This blow was later voted the knockout of the year. Michael Chandler's kick struck Tony Ferguson directly in the chin, disfiguring the American boxer's face. Spectators in the arena were shocked to see Ferguson – who was considered the stronger fighter before the match – fall face down to the canvas, unconscious and suffering temporary amnesia.
"I took a hard kick to the chin. It left me stunned for quite a while. I don't remember anything until I got in the ambulance. It was a terrifying feeling," Tony Ferguson recounted after regaining consciousness in the hospital.
The winner, Michael Chandler, stated that the strike was actually a random kick. He admitted that he didn't intend to aim for Tony Ferguson's chin due to impaired vision after taking a blow to the eye earlier.
Michael Chandler's wild kick became a defining moment in the fighter's career.
"It was completely the opposite of what I expected. The distance wasn't ideal. I just randomly threw punches to the middle and they landed. I never thought I could land a straight kick and knock him out," the 1986-born boxer admitted.
Tony Ferguson was rushed to the hospital. A CT scan revealed no brain damage. However, the legend was still ordered to remain inactive in all training and combat sports for 60 days before being cleared by doctors.
The biggest impact from this knockout wasn't physical, but psychological. "My mobility is fine. My joints are still strong, except for a slight headache every morning," Tony Ferguson revealed before his return to the UFC octagon in September 2022.
The Wing Chun master returned to competition, but he was unable to recapture that winning feeling in the UFC. The legend's losing streak extended to eight consecutive defeats. In Tony Ferguson's last four losses in the UFC, he resigned three times.
Michael Chandler fared no better. In his last five fights, he only managed one victory—a memorable knockout win against Tony Ferguson.
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/cao-thu-vinh-xuan-mat-tri-nho-su-nghiep-lao-doc-sau-cu-da-bua-cua-doi-thu-ar924078.html
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