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Tony Ferguson Snapped His 6-Year Losing Streak With Emotional TKO Boxing Debut Over the Weekend

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Michael Aldon | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 6:58 PM ET

Tony Ferguson was one of the most feared fighters in the UFC's lightweight division back in the 2010s. He was a former UFC interim lightweight champion who drowned his opponents with a pressure-heavy style that utilized unorthodox striking combined with a venomous grappling game rooted in collegiate wrestling and 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu. His legendary 12-fight winning streak between 2013 and 2019 is one of the most impressive runs in the sport, in which he defeated top contenders like Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, Anthony Pettis, and Kevin Lee. With the moniker “El Cucuy” (which is, appropriately, the Spanish-speaking equivalent of the “boogeyman”), Ferguson was on a seemingly unstoppable war path to a title shot against Khabib Nurmagomedov that, infamously, never materialized.

That era of dominance came to a crushing halt at UFC 249 in May 2020, where he faced Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title. This loss marked the beginning of a long and difficult chapter in Ferguson's career, as he suffered seven more consecutive losses inside the Octagon against a murderers' row of top competition, including Charles Oliveira, Beneil Dariush, Paddy Pimblett, Michael Chandler, and Nate Diaz. After his final UFC loss to Michael Chiesa via submission in August 2024, the 41-year-old veteran parted ways with the promotion, leaving many to believe his legendary career had reached its end.

Refusing to be defined by his setbacks, Ferguson sought a new beginning in the boxing ring. He signed with Misfits Boxing and faced social media personality and boxer Nathaniel Bustamante, widely known as “Salt Papi,” for his professional boxing debut on Aug. 31, 2025, in Manchester, England.

The Filipino TikTok star, though not a traditional prospect, entered the bout on a three-fight winning streak and posed a legitimate threat to Ferguson with his relatively sharp counter-punching style.

The fight was competitive through the first two rounds, with Salt Papi landing clean shots and appearing comfortable with his footwork.

Throughout the fight, however, Ferguson applied forward pressure and showed flashes of his vintage self, walking down “Salt Papi” against the ropes. In the third round, he unleashed a relentless, unanswered flurry of punches that forced the ref to step in.

With this performance, Ferguson won a TKO victory and the Misfits Boxing interim middleweight title.

The emotional weight of the moment was overwhelming, with Ferguson falling to his knees in the ring, overcome with tears after securing his first victory in any combat sport since June 2019.

Watch the highlights here:

Despite feeling like the stoppage was premature, Bustamante ultimately accepted the loss and shared a picture on his Instagram of himself and Ferguson embracing after their hard-fought war.