Tony Ferguson teases return to action in 2025
Tony Ferguson isn’t done just yet.
The former UFC interim lightweight champion appears ready to resume his career in 2025 after teasing his return to action in a new post on social media. Ferguson, 40, last fought this past August when he suffered a submission loss to Michael Chiesa at the UFC Fight Night event in Abu Dhabi, which marked his eighth straight defeat in the octagon.
“Completely destroyed myself to reinvent it,” Ferguson wrote on Instagram. “As an artist, I aim to show something you’ve never seen before. Happy New Year crew. 2025 in my sights
“Stay tuned and watch the magic unfold. New missions acknowledged. Fight news coming soon.”
Ferguson didn’t address where he would be fighting, although it appeared his run with the UFC came to an end following that loss to Chiesa. He briefly contemplated retirement after that loss but then remained steadfast in his desire to compete again just a couple of months later.
“F*ck no I’m not retiring,” Ferguson said this past October. “I’m too old to retire. I’m 40 years old. I’m halfway to 80, I’ve been competing since I was five years old in multiple sports. I wrestled in college, I’ve done all the other stuff, and you know what? It’s not like I don’t know anything else. I do. I’m still able to compete. When somebody is able to run or sprint faster than me then maybe I will start to consider it.
“But what I really need is to find that coaching, that discipline around other people, being uncomfortable in practice so that way you’re not miserable in the fight... That’s where we’re at right now.”
At his peak, Ferguson was considered one of the top two lightweights in the sport alongside former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Those two were scheduled to face each other multiple times over the years but unfortunately one disaster or another prevented them from ever actually meeting in the cage.
Nurmagomedov eventually retired from the sport but Ferguson never slowed down with eight fights over the past four years, which included matchups against opponents such as Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler.
While the UFC may not be an option, Ferguson could still land with any number of promotions including PFL, BKFC or even the upstart Global Fight League, which has been signing veteran fighters left and right with plans to launch a team-based MMA promotion in 2025.
With a 25-11 record overall, Ferguson obviously hopes to turn things around in his career when he fights again with all signs pointing towards his return sometime in the New Year.