MMA fans rejoice as beloved ex-UFC champion finally ends historic losing streak

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 8:53 PM ET

(Misfits Boxing)

It may not have come under the UFC banner or in an MMA fight, but Tony Ferguson finally got his hand raised for the first time since 2019.

The fan favorite and former interim UFC lightweight champion left the promotion last year following a submission-loss to Michael Chiesa, which put Ferguson on a UFC record-setting eight-fight skid dating back to his 2022 loss to Justin Gaethje.

Ferguson was scheduled to compete in the short-lived MMA organization Global Fight League before signing on to make his boxing debut at MF & DAZN x Series 22, where “El Cucuy” snapped his losing run with a TKO-win over “Salt Papi” Nathaniel Bustamente.

Tony Ferguson Ends 8-Fight Losing Streak In Boxing Debut

Although the early fights during his historic losing streak came against elite names in the UFC lightweight division, fan desire for Ferguson to potentially retire began to increase exponentially when he started to suffer losses from less-heralded names like Chiesa, Paddy Pimblett, and King Green.

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The 41-year-old went so far as to leave one glove in the Octagon following his loss to Chiesa just over a year ago, and neither a planned matchup with Dillon Danis in the GFL or his boxing debut against “Salt Papi” were especially well-received by fans when they were announced.

“Salt Papi” entered the MF & DAZN x Series 22 co-main event as a sizeable favorite thanks to a 6-2 record in exhibition boxing and a three-fight win streak, but Ferguson beat the odds and stopped his opponent with strikes in the third round for his first combat sports victory in more than six years.

OMMMGGGGG!!!!

TONY FERGUSON STOPS SALT PAPI IN ROUND 3!!

️Buy #XSeries22 NOW at https://t.co/fmB3r5oC53 | Live Now | @MisfitsBoxing | Link in Bio For More pic.twitter.com/jRg4Tu7SIg
— MF & DAZN X Series (@MF_DAZNXSeries) August 30, 2025

Misfits Boxing Title Unification Fight Next For "El Cucuy"?

If getting his hand raised wasn’t enough to encourage Ferguson to continue his boxing career, the 41-year-old also won the Misfits Boxing Interim Middleweight title on a card that saw fellow UFC veteran Darren Till knock out former UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold in his own title-winning performance.

THE TITLE RUN HAS STARTED!!!!

Tony Ferguson is your NEW MFB Interim Middleweight Champion!!

️Buy #XSeries22 NOW at https://t.co/fmB3r5oC53 | Live Now | @MisfitsBoxing | Link in Bio For More pic.twitter.com/yL9AFJ0oCA
— MF & DAZN X Series (@MF_DAZNXSeries) August 30, 2025

Youtube star AnEsonGib (real name Ali Loui Al-Fakhri) currently holds the Misfits Boxing Middleweight Championship after taking the title from Sulieman Albaher via majority decision last November, and the promotion will presumably look to set up a title unification bout at some point in the near future now that Ferguson holds the division's interim belt.

Outside of Ferguson and Till’s stoppage-wins in the main and co-main events, the main card of MF & DAZN x Series 22 also saw Ferguson’s previously-scheduled GFL opponent Danis return to MMA for the first time since 2019 and finish Warren Spencer with a mounted guillotine choke in just 15 seconds.