Tony Ferguson was once an unstoppable force in the UFC’s lightweight division, thrilling fans with his unconventional techniques and relentless fighting spirit. The former interim lightweight champion was known as the division’s ‘boogeyman’ for a reason. Just ask the 12 opponents he absolutely ran through before going on an eight-fight losing streak. Unfortunately, these days, he’s known for that eight-fight losing streak, despite his optimism. To the shock of ‘El Cucuy’ fans, it was announced that the former interim lightweight champion signed with rising MMA promotion, the Global Fight League (GFL).

The news was later confirmed by Kevin Lee, Ferguson’s former rival in the UFC, who has also joined GFL. In an interview with Ariel Helwani, ‘The Motown Phenom’ disclosed that ‘El Cucuy’ was close to finalizing his deal with the organization and teased the potential of reigniting their rivalry under the GFL banner. Meanwhile, former UFC referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy fondly remembered Ferguson’s days as the scariest fighter in the lightweight division with fondness.

With Ferguson’s chapter with UFC officially ending, McCarthy took time to salute his brilliance inside the Octagon. He took to his X account to share a message for the 40-year-old and tweeted, “Tony was a monster during his 12-fight win streak. I will always remember Tony from that era of his career.”  GFL, an emerging force in the MMA landscape, is turning heads by building a lineup of seasoned veterans such as Frank Mir, Luke Rockhold, Fabricio Werdum, and others.

The promotion distinguishes itself with a fighter-focused business approach, featuring a groundbreaking 50-50 revenue-sharing model, extensive medical benefits, and retirement plans—perks that are rarely prioritized in the MMA world. Regardless of how good the promotion is, it can’t make a fighter win fights. How ‘El Cucuy’ will do in GFL is up to anyone’s guess. John McCarthy thinks Ferguson has the same mentality that took him to the top, but it might not bear any more fruit in fighting.

John McCarthy wants Tony Ferguson to take his mentality in a different direction

Tony Ferguson’s career in the UFC stands as one of the most remarkable journeys in mixed martial arts history. Known as ‘El Cucuy,’ Ferguson made his UFC debut in 2011 after winning The Ultimate Fighter season 13. His unorthodox fighting style, unparalleled cardio, and relentless pace quickly earned him a reputation as one of the most exciting fighters in the lightweight division.

But now it looks like even the UFC don’t want him to fight. We may never know the conversations that happened behind closed doors, but Dana White openly expressed the fact that he’s like to see ‘El Cucuy’ retire. In agreement with the UFC head honcho is the former UFC ref John McCarthy who appeared on the JAXXON Podcast to share his concerns about Ferguson continuing to fight.

“So with Tony, I would love to see him take his mentality, take everything he did in the sport, and all the effort he put into it. If he does those same things in a different direction—be it training, coaching, or anything else—he’ll be a success. But you’ve got to hang up being the person stepping into the cage to fight.” , said the veteran referee. And it’s so true. It does seem like Tony Ferguson still has the mentality that drove him to fighting greatness in the first place. It just seems like ‘El Cucuy’ needs reflecting, and perhaps have some difficult conversations with himself.

Regardless, it looks like there’s a new chapter in Tony Ferguson’s life. Will he find success in his new venture? We definitely hope so. What about you? Are you excited or worried about this new chapter in the ‘El Cucuy’ saga? Let us know in the comments down below.