At the end of January 2025, MMA (mixed martial arts) fans were saddened when the famous boxer Tony Ferguson officially left the prestigious UFC arena. Not having his contract renewed and being "kicked out" of the world's top fighting arena was a milestone that signaled the end of the 40-year-old's peak career.
Tony Ferguson is known as one of the rare high-class boxers whose training and fighting style is strongly influenced by Wing Chun - a martial art originating from China that is often considered to be less effective in real combat. Combining Wing Chun with freestyle wrestling, boxing, jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai, the American boxer rose to the top in 10 years (from 2008 to 2019).
However, the end of the career of the boxer born in 1984 made his fans feel sad. Tony Ferguson has clearly declined in the past 5 years with a series of 8 consecutive defeats. From the position of a top boxer, this boxer has become the subject of teasing and ridicule on social networks.
The knockout left Tony Ferguson unconscious and temporarily amnesiac.
One of the iconic defeats in Tony Ferguson’s slump was his 2022 fight against Michael Chandler. This was supposed to be his chance to get back on track after a three-round losing streak. Tony Ferguson fought well in the first round but was knocked out in the second round by a powerful kick.
This strike was later voted knockout of the year. Michael Chandler's kick hit Tony Ferguson square in the chin, disfiguring the American's face. The audience in the arena was shocked to see Ferguson - who was considered stronger before the fight - fall face down on the floor, unconscious and temporarily lost his memory.
"I got a hard kick to the chin. It knocked me out for quite a while. I don't remember anything until I got in the ambulance. It was a scary feeling," Tony Ferguson said after regaining consciousness in the hospital.
The winner, Michael Chandler, said the punch was actually a... sloppy kick. He also did not intend to aim for Tony Ferguson's chin due to his vision being affected after taking a previous blow to the eye.
Michael Chandler's wild kick became the defining moment of the boxer's career.
"It was completely opposite to what I expected. The distance was not ideal. I just threw a random punch in the middle and hit it. I never thought I could throw a straight kick and knock him out," the boxer born in 1986 admitted.
Tony Ferguson was taken to hospital shortly after. A CT scan showed no brain damage. However, the legend was still banned from all training and fighting for 60 days before being cleared by doctors to return.
The biggest impact of this knockout is not physical but psychological. "My mobility is fine. My joints are still strong, except for a little headache every morning," Tony Ferguson revealed before returning to the UFC ring in September 2022.
The Wing Chun master returned to compete, but he could not find the winning feeling again in the UFC. The legend's consecutive defeat streak increased to 8. In Tony Ferguson's last 4 defeats in the UFC arena, he had to admit defeat 3 times.
Michael Chandler was no better. In the last 5 fights of his career, he only won 1 victory. That was the knockout of his life 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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