Anthony Armand Ferguson Padilla, aka Tony Ferguson, is a former interim UFC Lightweight Champion, undefeated for twelve fights in a row. Thus, his defeat during the notorious UFC Lightweight Championship held on 09 May 2020 created a storm.
The 39-year-old American mixed martial artist threw imaginary sand into Justin’s eyes, displaying weirdness, after getting badly punched during that infamous fight. However, his cartoon trick could not work against Justin’s perfect footwork, threatening punches, and smart work.
Tony joined UFC in 2011 after applying multiple times. Currently, he fights in the lightweight division. Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, and boxing are his strengths. During the UFC 249 fight, he fought against Justin Ray Gaethje, the 35-year-old former wrestler and current American professional mixed martial artist.
The Notorious UFC 249 Fight
Tony Ferguson had a never-ending downfall but could not withstand Justin Gaethje’s caliber during the UFC 249 match. The threatening Justin gave shots on Tony’s chin, legs, and whole body. It was the first time someone beat the hell out of Tony.
We might call it co-incidence because the UFC 249 fight was scheduled between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony on 18 April 2020. However, Khabib could not leave Russia due to COVID-19 restrictions, and Justin Gaethje appeared as his replacement at short notice.
Tony remained undefeated for twelve fights in a row before losing his first five fights in a row against Justin on May 09, 2020. However, the latter reportedly assumed that Tony did not lose confidence after that. According to him, every fight is different, and Tony must have got slower and unlucky that day.
People wondered how Tony even stood after so many shots. His performance might have been affected by various factors, including mental and physical health. On the one hand, Tony had to cut his weight twice due to Justin’s sudden emergence as a replacement. On the other hand, Justin specializes in kicking his opponents.
Justin, who began wrestling at four, continuously dropped bombs on Tony. People state Tony should have wrestled with Justin, which would have brought them closer, proving more risky for Tony.
Amid the chaos, the only better move performed by Tony was the clean uppercut against Justin. He did not reveal the real reason for his defeat, and people moved on taking it as a part of an athlete’s life.
Florida State Boxing Commission saw the UFC 249 fight and suspended Tony for sixty days. They were ready to extend the suspension period, looking at Tony’s recovery. Thus, he directly fought against Charles Oliveira at UFC 256 held on 12 December 2020.
Currently, Justin is reportedly ready to have a fair fight with Conor McGregor, who has not been tested for drugs for a while.
Tony Ferguson Before And After
Tony did not remain the same after that infamous fight because he lost six more fights against different opponents after that, and the sixth took place against Paddy Pimblett on 16 December 2023. Meanwhile, Justin became a potential opponent over the years.
Justin gave Tony 143 notable strikes, out of which hundred were on the face and the remaining all over the body. Tony was taken to the Jacksonville Hospital right after the fight, and he revealed his messed face on Instagram. His face had cuts, bruises, and swelling, and his orbital bone and eye socket were broken.
Tony’s left eye was almost completely shut and had a deep-long horizontal cut with stitches below his right eye. There were small bruises over his face and a bigger one at the end of his left eyebrow. Still, the brave heart managed to smile with his wife, Cristina, in the photo.
According to the UFC Chief, Tony looked slow during the fight, while Justin applied controlled pressure and continually hit his left hook on Tony’s face. Thus, the match unsurprisingly ended with a lot of blood. However, people appreciated Justin’s tactics to defeat Tony.
Tony’s fans pushed him to keep his chin up during the hard times, after which he shared a video depicting him dancing with his IV drip stand in the hospital’s gown.
Since Justin was not the planned opponent for the UFC 249 fight, Tony had to work more to cut his weight accordingly. People who understood his struggle could not stop from praising him. Moreover, Justin is infamous for hitting his opponents like a truck and may continue till the opponent gets unconscious.
