Is 40-year-old Tony Ferguson retiring from the sport after his eighth consecutive loss? This is the question that is bothering most of his fans out there. On Saturday night in Abu Dhabi, ‘El Cucuy’ took on an inform Michael Chiesa in the welterweight division. Ferguson started the fight on a positive note but lost the battle via a rear naked choke in the first round itself.

What followed was a series of questions surrounding his retirement. Ferguson felt hesitant and expressed that he still has a lot to offer to the sport. But it seems that this might be the end of the road for him as revealed by a former UFC fighter.

UFC insider feels Tony Ferguson’s time as a fighter is over

At 40-years-old Tony Ferguson is way past his prime and struggling inside the Octagon. Despite putting in consistent efforts, ‘El Cucuy’ is now tied at eight consecutive losses. During the post-fight interview Ferguson left one of his gloves inside the Octagon hinting at a comeback again. But looking at his recent form it seems his time as a UFC fighter is over.

Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen recently took to their YouTube channel to discuss the event and specially Tony Ferguson. ‘DC’ was present during the post-fight interview where Ferguson said, “I know I could’ve done better… I don’t want to retire. I love the UFC… I’m gonna go home and talk to my wife…,”.  To such a raw admission, the former dual-champion stated that the 40-year-old should consider retirement as he is struggling at the moment.

Adding to this candid take, Sonnen also shared his own opinion and said, “I am thinking the same thing.” The 47-year-old believed that Ferguson still has one fight left in his contract but the UFC might not sign him. He said, “There was kind of some asking hey may I come back. If you asked Dana the right way and you got a relationship there. The answer is generally yes.”

However, looking at his current stats, performance, and age, Sonnen did not hold back from declaring that Tony Ferguson won’t be coming back for sure. ‘The American Gangster’ known for his brutal analysis finally ended the debate and said, “I am completely confident in telling you there’s not going to be a return.”

Currently the 40-year-old is still waiting to announce his final decision and is most likely hoping he gets a call from the UFC. Amidst all the chaos Khabib Nurmagomedov who was present in the arena during Ferguson’s possible last fight shared a unique message for him.

Khabib Nurmagomedov wishes Tony Ferguson all the best amidst retirement rumors

Tony Ferguson once held the record for twelve consecutive wins in the lightweight division. From 2013-2019, ‘El Cucuy’ seemed absolutely untouchable in the division. One of his biggest opponent at that time was the then lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. The pair was scheduled to take on each other five times in their career but unfortunately the clash never happened.

Nurmagomedov is currently retired from the sport but it seems he has a lot of respect for the former interim champion. After his fight ‘The Eagle’ took time to wish Ferguson for a highly successful career. Although ‘El Cucuy’ is yet to announce his retirement from the sport, ‘The Eagle’ already has a message for him.

In the video, the former professional said, “It’s not a surprise for me because he’s forty years old. I just want to wish him all the best. He’s truly one of the best in the UFC. I just wanna wish him all the best and his life just beginning. Because he’s just forty years old. Just finished him MMA career. Now he gonna live a different life much better life.” 

It’s tough to see a legend of the sport finishing his career at such a loss in the octagon. UFC CEO Dana White also seems hesitant to give him a next fight. Given the situation, there is a big cloud of uncertainty surrounding the professional. The question begs, so should Tony Ferguson finally call it quits on his fantastic MMA career? Share your thoughts in the comments below.