Two UFC veterans, Tony Ferguson and Joe Lauzon, have been in the news in recent weeks. However, it has revolved around their fighting futures and if they should continue to compete inside the Octagon.
UFC Vets Tony Ferguson, Joe Lauzon On Future
Two veterans of the UFC Octagon are in limbo in regards to their fighting futures.
First, Tony Ferguson, a former interim lightweight champion, is not looking to leave the promotion despite losing his last six fights.
Ferguson took to social media to reveal a five-step process he has been dealing with since a loss at UFC 291 to Bobby Green. It includes bringing back his smile, finding it to be fun and putting in good sparring sessions.
1.) Haven’t Sparred Good Since Barboza or Thompson 2.) Only Time I Find Myself In A Cage Is When I Fight 3.) Since Pandemic None of This Shit Has Been Fun 4.) I Used To Smile A Lot Moar When I Was Competing 5.) Been So Busy Taking Care Of Others Instead Of Myself Continuted ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/HSWfn9pjKW
In his second post on the site, he added that “No I’m Not Retiring & (expletive) Those Who Thing I Should.” Ferguson added that he still has plenty of work to do.
Continued ⬇️ 7.) Created Boundaries Between Those Who Are Bad For Me 8.) Structured Myself So I Don’t Make The Same Mistakes 9.) No I’m Not Retiring & Fuck Those Who Think I Should 10.) I Have Work To Do & I’m One Pissed Off MF -Champ ⚔️🕶️ -CSO- 🇺🇸🏆🇲🇽 # 🎠
Once a winner of 12 consecutive fights, a record that he shares in the lightweight division with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Ferguson has not had his hand raised since a 2019 win over Donald Cerrone.
Dana White Prefers Joe Lauzon Retire
As far as UFC president Dana White is concerned, Joe Lauzon has fought for the final time inside the Octagon.
“It wasn’t that his services weren’t needed,” White said this past weekend during the UFC 292 post-fight press conference (thanks to MMA Fighting for the quotes). “The card was full at the time that he was asking. I would like Joe to retire, too.”
Lauzon has been pretty inactive since 2019, as planned fights with Cerrone were called off. Lauzon, though, in a statement provided his reasoning for wanting to continue.
“Dana is not wrong about age or anything else. Don’t think I wasn’t thinking about that when I saw (Chris) Weidman hurt his knee last night,” he wrote. “Dana is not wrong… and we’ve always had a great relationship and I know how rare it is to go out on top instead of face down like so many others.
“I was never claiming I would fight “anyone, anywhere, anytime.” You hadn’t heard a boo out of me about fighting in the last 4 years with Covid, the Apex and everything else. If the previous Boston show was my last one, so be it… but I have been saying the entire time that if an opportunity makes sense, I am down for it.”
