The former interim UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson has made major changes in his camp starting from firing “toxic” coaches who thought that he was no longer good enough.
Ferguson is all set to take on Bobby Green at UFC 291 at the Delta Center, Utah.
Ahead of his big fight, Ferguson appeared in a pre-fight press conference where he blasted his former coaches saying that he is not used to losing.
“I’m not used to losing,” Ferguson said during a UFC 291 pre-fight press conference. “I’ll show you guys. I’ve been competing in sports since I was maybe four, five. I’ve been competing in sports for 30-plus years at the highest level.
“Man, you get burned out. Pandemic. It took a full pandemic for me to lose my 12-fight win streak. Not angry at it, but I had to fire some coaches,” he said. “I had to fire some people. Because I was trying to get them back, and they weren’t good for me. It was toxic. It was toxic to me and I didn’t realize it.
“I can go and reiterate some things, but I won’t. What I’ll say is my focus is back,” he said.
“I feel at this time in my life that I’m just barely hitting my prime, which is crazy,” Ferguson claimed.
Ferguson also shared his goals before saying goodbye to the octagon.
“I’m gonna be done when I want to be done,” Ferguson said. “But I’m also gonna have to do what I have to do in order to get where I want to get. Five fights then a title, baby. I’m out.”
Ferguson is on a five-match losing streak in UFC. His last fight was against the American MMA star Nate Diaz who won the match by submission during the fourth round on September 10, 2022.
The American star was on a 12-game winning streak starting from October 2013 to June 2019 where he won his last fight.
Tony’s last win in the cage was against the American MMA artist Donald Cerrone in UFC 238 on June 8, 2019, where he won the fight in the second round by TKO.