Tony Ferguson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony Ferguson
Tony Ferguson in 2016
Born	Anthony Armand Padilla (1984-02-12) February 12, 1984 (age 41) Oxnard, California, U.S.
Nickname(s)	El Cucuy
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg)
Division	Lightweight (2011–2021, 2023) Welterweight (2008–2011, 2022, 2024-present)
Reach	76+1⁄2 in (194 cm)
Fighting out of	Orange County, California, U.S. Oxnard, California, U.S.
Trainer	Strength and Conditioning: David Goggins Boxing: Rashad Holloway, Joseph Janik (Former) Muay Thai: Billy Fonua Jiu-Jitsu: Eddie Bravo, Ricardo "Franjinha" Miller (Former)
Rank	Black belt in 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu under Eddie Bravo
Wrestling	NCWA Wrestling
Years active	2008–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total	36
Wins	25
By knockout	12
By submission	8
By decision	5
Losses	11
By knockout	2
By submission	4
By decision	5
University	Central Michigan University Grand Valley State College
Medal record Collegiate Wrestling Representing the Grand Valley State Lakers NCWA Championships Gold 2006 Grand Rapids 165 lb

Anthony "Tony" Armand Ferguson Padilla (born February 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He is known for his exciting fighting style. Tony is a former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion. He started his career in 2008. He joined the UFC in 2011 after winning The Ultimate Fighter 13. Tony is trained in many fighting styles. These include freestyle wrestling, boxing, jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, and Wing Chun.

Early Life and School

Tony Ferguson was born in Oxnard, California. This was on February 12, 1984. He mostly grew up in Muskegon, Michigan. His family background is Mexican. His last name, Ferguson, comes from his Scottish American stepfather.

In high school, Tony was a great athlete. He played three sports at Muskegon Catholic Central High School. These sports were American football, baseball, and wrestling. He was a starting player for the state champion football team in 2000. He was also a three-time All-State wrestler. He won the 152-pound wrestling title in 2002.

After high school, Tony went to Central Michigan University. He later moved to Grand Valley State University. He also spent some time at Muskegon Community College. He did not finish his degree. However, he had a very good college wrestling career. He won the 2006 National Collegiate Wrestling Association national wrestling championship. This was in the 165-pound division.

After college, Tony moved back to California. He wanted to be closer to his family. He worked in marketing and sales during the day. At night, he worked as a bartender. One night, a customer saw his ear. It was a "cauliflower ear," which is common in wrestlers. The customer asked about his wrestling. This person was an MMA gym trainer. He invited Tony to help young fighters with their wrestling. Soon after, Tony decided to become a professional mixed martial artist.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

Starting His Career

Tony Ferguson began his professional MMA journey in 2007. He fought in smaller organizations in California. Early in his career, he won against kickboxing champion Joe Schilling. He also had a loss to Karen Darabedyan. Karen later became a fighter in the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC).

The Ultimate Fighter Show

Tony tried many times to get on The Ultimate Fighter. This is a reality TV show by the UFC. In 2010, he finally got accepted. By then, he had a record of 10 wins and 2 losses. He had also won the welterweight championship in PureCombat. He joined season 13 of the show, The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos. He competed as a welterweight.

Tony was chosen as the third pick for Team Lesnar. In his first fight, he beat Justin Edwards. He won by knockout in the first round. Next, he faced Ryan McGillivray in the quarterfinals. He won by TKO in the first round. Then, he fought Chuck O'Neil in the semifinals. He won by TKO in the third round. This win sent him to the final match.

Fighting in the UFC

Tony Ferguson officially joined the UFC at the Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale. He fought Ramsey Nijem to decide the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 13. Tony beat Ramsey Nijem by knockout in the first round. This win earned him a UFC contract. He also got a $40,000 "Knockout of the Night" bonus.

After this, Tony went back to the lightweight division. He fought Aaron Riley on September 24, 2011, at UFC 135. The fight stopped after the first round. Riley said he had a broken jaw. Tony won by TKO.

Tony then faced experienced fighter Yves Edwards at the Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale. Tony won the fight by a unanimous decision. This means all judges agreed he won.

Tony was set to fight Dennis Hallman on May 5, 2012. This was at UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller. Hallman got injured and was replaced by Thiago Tavares. Then, Tavares also got injured. Michael Johnson stepped in. Tony lost this fight by unanimous decision.

Amazing Win Streak

Tony took over a year off to heal an arm injury. He came back to fight Mike Rio on October 19, 2013, at UFC 166. This fight started his amazing twelve-fight win streak. He won by a D'Arce choke submission in the first round. This win also earned him his first "Submission of the Night" award. It was worth $60,000.

Tony faced Katsunori Kikuno on May 24, 2014, at UFC 173. He won the fight by knockout in the first round.

Tony was supposed to fight Danny Castillo on August 2, 2014. This was at UFC 176. But UFC 176 was canceled. So, the fight was moved to August 30, 2014, at UFC 177. Tony won the fight by a split decision. This means some judges thought he won, and others thought his opponent won, but the majority sided with Tony.

Tony fought Abel Trujillo on December 6, 2014, at UFC 181. Tony won in the second round by submission.

Tony was set to fight Yancy Medeiros on February 28, 2015, at UFC 184. Medeiros got injured. Gleison Tibau took his place. Tony won the fight by submission in the first round. He also earned a "Performance of the Night" bonus.

Tony faced Josh Thomson on July 15, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 71. He won by unanimous decision. He earned his second "Performance of the Night" bonus in a row.

Tony was supposed to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov on December 11, 2015. This was at the Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale. Khabib got injured in late October. Edson Barboza replaced him. The first round was very close. Tony lost a point for an illegal kick. But Tony finished Barboza with a D'Arce choke submission in the second round. He earned his third "Performance of the Night" bonus. He also got a "Fight of the Night" bonus.

A rematch with Michael Johnson was planned for March 5, 2016, at UFC 196. On January 27, Johnson pulled out due to injury. Then, the fight with Nurmagomedov was planned again for April 16, 2016. This was at UFC on Fox 19. On April 5, Tony pulled out because of a lung issue. Darrell Horcher took his place.

Tony was set to fight Michael Chiesa on July 13, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 91. Chiesa got injured on June 27. Lando Vannata replaced him. Tony won his second straight fight by D'Arce choke. He also received another "Fight of the Night" bonus.

Tony fought former champion Rafael dos Anjos on November 5, 2016. This was at the Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 Finale. Tony won the fight by unanimous decision. Both fighters earned "Fight of the Night" bonuses. This was Tony's sixth bonus in his last five fights.

The fight with Nurmagomedov was planned for a third time. It was for the interim UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 209. Before the weigh-ins, Nurmagomedov went to the hospital. He had trouble with his weight cut. The fight was canceled again.

Tony faced Kevin Lee on October 7, 2017. This was at UFC 216 for the interim UFC Lightweight Championship. He won the fight by triangle choke submission in the third round.

A fight with Nurmagomedov was planned for the fourth time. It was on April 7, 2018, at UFC 223. On April 1, 2018, Tony injured his knee. He had to pull out of the event.

Tony faced Anthony Pettis on October 6, 2018, at UFC 229. He won the fight when Pettis's corner stopped the fight after two rounds. Pettis's coach said he could not continue because of a broken hand. Both fighters earned "Fight of the Night" honors for their performance.

Tony next faced Donald Cerrone on June 8, 2019, at UFC 238. He won the fight by TKO. The doctor stopped the fight. Cerrone's eye closed after he blew his nose between rounds. This made him unable to continue. This fight also earned both fighters "Fight of the Night" honors.

Recent Fights

Tony was set to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov for the UFC Lightweight Championship on April 18, 2020. This was at UFC 249. However, the fight was canceled. Khabib could not leave Russia due to travel limits from the coronavirus pandemic. Tony then agreed to fight Justin Gaethje for the Interim UFC Lightweight Championship. This was a last-minute change. On April 9, UFC president Dana White said the event was postponed. The fight finally happened on May 9, 2020. Tony was hit more by Gaethje for all five rounds. He lost the fight by TKO in the fifth round. This fight earned both fighters "Fight of the Night" honors.

Tony faced Charles Oliveira on December 12, 2020, at UFC 256. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. He was controlled on the ground for most of the fight.

Tony faced Beneil Dariush on May 15, 2021, at UFC 262. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. He was again controlled on the ground for most of the fight.

Tony fought former Bellator Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler on May 7, 2022, at UFC 274. Tony had a strong first round. But he lost the fight by knockout early in the second round.

Tony was set to return to the welterweight division. He was to face Li Jingliang on September 10, 2022, at UFC 279. However, Tony moved to the main event. He faced Nate Diaz. This happened because Nate's original opponent, Khamzat Chimaev, missed weight. Tony lost the fight by a guillotine choke submission in the fourth round.

Tony returned to the lightweight division. He faced Bobby Green at UFC 291 on July 29, 2023. He lost the fight by technical submission. This was an arm-triangle choke in the last seconds of the third round.

Tony faced Paddy Pimblett on December 16, 2023, at UFC 296. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.

Tony fought Michael Chiesa in a welterweight bout on August 3, 2024. This was at UFC on ABC 7. He lost the fight by a rear-naked choke submission in the first round. With this eighth loss in a row, Tony now holds the record for the longest losing streak in UFC history.

Global Fight League

On January 24, 2025, it was announced that Tony Ferguson had left the UFC. He signed with the Global Fight League.

Personal Life

Tony Ferguson has two sons with his wife, Cristina Ferguson.

Training and Style

Tony Ferguson is known for his unique personality in MMA. He built his own training equipment at his home in Big Bear Lake, California. He often shares videos of his unusual workouts online. These videos show him using a Wing Chun dummy. He hits his arms and legs against metal poles to make his bones stronger. He throws baseballs to build power for punches. He swings a hammer while balancing on a gym ball. He also does somersault jumps over tall stacks of gym mats. Many people, including other fighters, have talked about his different training methods. Some fighters have even made fun videos of his routines. Tony has said that he does not spar much in training. He believes it "limits my creativity" when he fights.

Championships and Awards

Amateur Wrestling

• National Collegiate Wrestling Association
  • NCWA National Champion (2006)
  • NCWA All-American (2006, 2007)
  • North Central Conference Champion (2006, 2007)
• Michigan High School Athletic Association
  • MHSAA Division IV State Champion (2002)
  • MHSAA Division IV All-State (2000-2002)

Mixed Martial Arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Interim UFC Lightweight Championship (One time)
  • The Ultimate Fighter 13 winner
  • Fight of the Night (Six times) vs. Edson Barboza, Lando Vannata, Rafael dos Anjos, Anthony Pettis, Donald Cerrone and Justin Gaethje
  • Knockout of the Night (One time) vs. Ramsey Nijem
  • Submission of the Night (One time) vs. Mike Rio
  • Performance of the Night (Three times) vs. Edson Barboza, Josh Thomson and Gleison Tibau
  • Tied (Khabib Nurmagomedov) for the second longest win streak in UFC Lightweight division history (12)
  • Tied (Donald Cerrone, Drew Dober & Dustin Poirier) for fourth most finishes in UFC Lightweight division history (10)
  • Second most D'Arche choke submission wins in UFC history (3) (behind Vicente Luque)
  • Seventh most significant strikes landed in UFC Lightweight division history (1221)
  • Seventh most total strikes landed in UFC Lightweight division history (1404)
  • Longest losing streak in UFC history (8)
    • Tied (B.J. Penn) for the second longest winless streak in UFC history (8) (behind Sam Alvey)
  • UFC.com Awards
    • 2011: Ranked #3 Newcomer of the Year
    • 2015: Ranked #9 Fighter of the Year, Ranked #5 Submission of the Year vs. Edson Barboza & Ranked #3 Fight of the Year vs. Edson Barboza
    • 2016: Ranked #9 Fight of the Year vs. Rafael dos Anjos
    • 2018: Ranked #5 Fight of the Year vs. Anthony Pettis
    • 2019: Ranked #9 Fight of the Year vs. Donald Cerrone
    • 2020: Ranked #6 Fight of the Year vs. Justin Gaethje
• PureCombat
  • PureCombat Welterweight Championship (One time)
• World MMA Awards
  • 2018 Fight of the Year vs. Anthony Pettis at UFC 229

Mixed Martial Arts Record

Mixed Martial Arts Exhibition Record

Pay-Per-View Fights

See also

In Spanish: Tony Ferguson para niños

• List of male mixed martial artists