When a fighter comes into their own, special things start to happen, and that is what 2014 has been about for Tony Ferguson.
Since entering the UFC by winning season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter, “El Cucuy” has been on a constant push to progress his skills as a mixed martial artist and scrap his way to elite-level status. Ferguson has been out to prove he’s the real deal inside the Octagon and the 30-year-old lightweight has been putting up high-caliber performances to back up that notion.
The scrappy California native has won six of his seven showings since entering the talent-stacked ranks of the UFC’s 155-pound fold back in 2011 and he shows zero signs of slowing down. Ferguson has notched four consecutive victories in the past two years, with his most recent win coming at the expense of heavy-handed slugger Abel Trujillo at UFC 181 last Saturday.
While “Killa” found a home for his power in the early going and put Ferguson on the mat, the surging prospect proved resilient and rebounded strong to score the second-round finish. By scoring the comeback victory over Trujillo, he showed there’s a lot of heart to go along with this ever-improving skill set, and Ferguson believes that’s going to cause problems for anyone he faces inside the Octagon.
“It was a good fight and one that I expected,” Ferguson told Bleacher Report. “I weathered the storm, brought my technique and proved myself. I just don’t want to be questioned anymore about where I belong. I belong in the top 15 or in the top 10. I belong in the spot where I’m going to be at. Nothing has been given to me and I’ve definitely earned this. This is all the result of the time spent in the gym and even outside of the gym from eating correctly and proper recovery. Planning my next practice session and listening to my body and my coaches.
“It goes a long way and I’m really prepared and amped up for 2015. I’m not going to take a big long break. I’m not injured. I’m mentally and physically sound. I’m just ready to see who they put in front of me.
While his win over Trujillo was an impressive performance from the former TUF winner, it’s not one he’s willing to rest on. And even though the victory failed to put him into a top-15 ranking in the latest UFC poll, it is just another detail that is of little concern to him at the present time. Ferguson is taking aim at the biggest names in the division and is willing to travel any road he has to in order to get to the lightweight crown.
If the rest of his division is sleeping on him, then all the better in Ferguson’s mind, but it’s something they will have to figure out soon enough, because they won’t have a choice when he’s standing across the Octagon from them. And that is what he believes is going to be the biggest challenge for all of his future opponents.
“People just don’t know,” Ferguson said. “They don’t know what to think about me. I’m not the type to worry about who I’m going to fight, but these guys are like, ‘Man, how are we going to take this guy out?’ I’ve taken out a lot of these guys from these top gyms and I like that.
“I mess up these guys’ thought processes. That’s what I do. When these guys are watching film on me I hope put fear in them when they watch it. They are going to go all the way back to when I fought Justin Edwards and see where I knocked him out from off my back. Other fights I’ve weathered the storm then came back to beat the guy up until the ref stopped the fight. It just keeps going on and on. When I keep a level head and go in there with a game plan, regardless if the plan works, I know how to improvise. I know how to come out with that victory and I’ve always been that way.
“This is the MMA game and it’s just like chess,” he added. “It starts right before you get in there, and if you can keep a level head and rely on your technique once the fight starts, that’s how I win. I can get pissed off during a fight—and trust me, I’ll still win—but I choose to keep a level head and that’s when you are going to see great things. The more I’m in there, the easier it gets for me to relax. As soon as 2015 hits, I’d like to sign on the dotted line and get back in there right away.”
With Ferguson running the proverbial table in 2014 and taking out notable competition the likes of Danny Castillo and Abel Trujillo along the way, there will certainly be bigger matchups waiting for him in the New Year. The lightweight division is constantly referred to as a “shark tank” for the amount of high-caliber talent that dwells in the 155-pound waters, and Ferguson is making zero bones about his intention to gun for the biggest names out there.
While he’s on the cusp of breaking through into the coveted top-10 rankings of the lightweight fold, Ferguson is already letting the fighters atop the divisional hierarchy know he’s coming after them. It may take him a few fights to get to current champion Anthony Pettis, but that’s a road he’s happy to travel. And if that particular path happens to include undefeated Russian sensation Khabib Nurmagomedov, then that’s work he’ll also enjoy getting into.
When it all boils down, Ferguson is simply determined to make sure the fighters currently hovering in the lightweight division’s upper tier know that he’s on his way up, and he’s bringing a fight to each and every one of their front doors.
“I called it at the press conference,” Ferguson said regarding the message he sent to Pettis and company at the post-fight press conference for UFC 181. “I told him to keep that belt warm for me. He knows who he is. It’s the same thing for Khabib [Nurmagomedov]. These guys know I’m coming for them. We are on different pathways right now and everyone is searching for their own thing, but I’m here. Don’t sleep on me because I’m coming for that top spot.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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