Khabib Nurmagomedov's Coach Discusses Potential Post-UFC Run For Tony Ferguson
Khabib Nurmagomedov's American Kickboxing Academy coach Javier Mendez has weighed in on Tony Ferguson's seven-fight skid, and what his options could look like if he's done with the UFC.
Ferguson recently competed on the UFC 296 card against Paddy Pimblett. "El Cucuy" ended up losing the fight via unanimous decision. As a result, Ferguson has dropped his seventh bout in a row. He hasn't scored a win inside the Octagon since 2019.
During an episode of his own podcast, Javier Mendez explained that while the UFC could release Tony Ferguson, he believes "El Cucuy" would be in high demand for rival promotions despite his skid.
"Well, number one, the UFC releasing him at this stage might benefit them," Mendez said. "Before it didn't because he was still a needle-mover. He's really good for advertising, hyping fights up. Tony's still good at that. So, the fact that there's bare-knuckle fighting, the fact that there's other organizations out there it means that Tony still has a job if he wants to, a high-paying job 'cause people pay to watch him. So, I think he probably needs to really look at himself now because that's seven in a row, and he keeps changing things up. Father time's catching him up more. It's gonna be up to him and his family, but I don't want to say he should retire. That's on him."
We've seen plenty of ex-UFC fighters breathe new life into their careers with a move to another promotion, or even another combat sport. One former UFC fighter who has been seen his stock soar since leaving the promotion is Mike Perry, who many believe has become the face of BKFC.
The question is, will the UFC part ways with Ferguson before his next fight?
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