Tony Ferguson vs. Salt Papi Preview

Tony Ferguson is set to make his boxing debut against internet personality Salt Papi on August 30 at Misfits Boxing 22, as we preview this upcoming fight. 

Ferguson, who is the former UFC interim lightweight champion, once dominated the sport with a remarkable 12-fight winning streak. However, his recent career has been a tough one, losing his last eight fights in a row. His most recent bout was a decision loss to Michael Chiesa at UFC Abu Dhabi in August 2024. Despite the struggles, Ferguson never officially retired from MMA, and now he’s stepping into the boxing ring. Meanwhile, Salt Papi is a seasoned Misfits boxer. Papi’s record stands at 3 wins and 2 losses and will be facing what is arguably his toughest opponent to date. 

Pre-Fight

“90% of the comments out there say that I am washed up, old or I should retire. The other 20% are saying that Salt Papi is going to knock me out. That is more fuel for my fire. I am still moving like I am young and I’m not going to quit because I have been doing this since I was 3 or 4 years old,” Ferguson said 

“Tony is a legendary fighter and I was shocked when he accepted the fight. I didn’t expect him, such a big name, to give me an opportunity to fight. “I’m not sure if they turned it down, maybe they were just busy, but I had people on the list like Anthony Pettis, Mike Perry, Nate Diaz. All the big names, really, and Mams told me Tony wants to fight, so that’s it. We can always revisit or fight a professional boxer,” Papi stated 

Full Card

Darren Till vs Luke Rockhold ; Bridgerweight

Tony Ferguson vs Salt Papi ; Middleweight

Dillon Danis vs Warren Spencer ; Light heavyweight

Joey Essex vs Numeiro ; Middleweight

Ty Mitchell vs Sean Hemphill ; Super middleweight

Amadeusz Ferrari vs Rahim Pardesi ; Light heavyweight

Chase DeMoor vs Natan Marcoń ; Heavyweight