After his loss at UFC 274 Tony Ferguson was invited to Chute Boxe Academy by Charles Oliveira.
Two weeks back, at UFC 274, Tony Ferguson suffered a brutal KO loss to Michael Chandler. That was the fourth loss in a row for El Cucuy, following defeats to Beneil Dariush, Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje.
After that event, Oliveira extended an olive branch to his former foe—inviting him to join him at Chute Boxe Academy in Sao Paulo. Oliveira was also at UFC 274. He defeated Gaethje by submission to put himself in prime position to reclaim the UFC lightweight title, a belt he lost on the scales the day prior.
We’re among big dogs, up&downs are part of our jorneys. I admire you a lot @tonyfergusonxt. You’ve the history inside the Octagon. Head up “El Cucuy”!
If you wish, let’s train together in ChuteBoxe’s hedquarter in São Paulo for your nxt fight. You’re a brother!#UFC pic.twitter.com/hNyd4wbLZd
— Charles ‘DoBronxs’ Oliveira (@CharlesDoBronxs) May 9, 2022
Despite the kind offer, it seems we won’t be seeing Ferguson’s patented training videos with a Chute Boxe logo in the background anytime soon.
“I have to really reflect on what he said, because Chute Boxe is a very good school,” Ferguson said in an interview with MMA Junkie. “But he is in my weight class. I’m one of the only fighters that he hasn’t finished, and I went into that fight practicing zero jiu-jitsu. I didn’t do too bad. I didn’t do as bad as Dustin Poirier just sitting there laying there. I stayed active and I went for submissions everywhere. It’s not like I practiced really hard.
“I’ve got to really think about that one, because I see myself competing against him again. No animosity, but I went back there and talked to him before the weigh-in faceoffs. I told him, he was signing posting, and I walked up to him, put my hand on his shoulder and I said, ‘Hey, kid. You stay focused, all right?’ He turned around and he looked at me and he knows already. Like I told him inside that octagon (when we fought). I put my arm around his shoulder and said, ‘Walk with me.’ I’m a good scout when it comes to certain things. … I know exactly what I have to do and I can’t really say no to it or yes to it. But I know right now that it’s not the time for me to go to Chute Boxe and to train with them. There’s some local gyms out that I’m going to be part of a team and help that team grow as well as myself.”
Before Ferguson lost to Gaethje in 2020, the former TUF winner was on a 12-fight winning streak with notable wins over Rafael dos Anjos, Anthony Pettis, Edson Barboza and Donald Cerrone. His record currently stands at 25-7.