Tony Ferguson Net Worth

Biography of Tony Ferguson

Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson is a Mexican American mixed fighter. A brilliant indomitable mixed martial arts fighter, he is called the Mexican devil, he is a bright MMA star, the owner of a unique spectacular technique and the title of interim world champion in mixed martial arts in lightweight.

early years

The athlete was born on February 12, 1984 in the Californian town of Oxnard, located on the Pacific coast. The boy’s mother, Mary, immediately after the birth of her son, married the Scot Armand Ferguson, who replaced Tony’s biological father. When the future champion was in elementary school, the family moved to Muskegon, Michigan, where his stepfather bought a small bar.

Armand raised Tony as his own son, taking a direct part in the fate of the boy, who was naturally shy and not very sociable. To help his son get rid of shyness, adapt to a new school and make friends, Armand took Tony to the boxing section. Much later, the athlete will say in an interview that he owes his father his victories in sports and in life.

UFC career

Tony made his first achievements in sports while still in high school, where he was involved in wrestling, basketball and rugby at the same time, and it was these successes that helped him receive a grant to study at the prestigious University of Michigan. For more than three years at the university, Tony several times became the winner of student wrestling competitions, and was also fond of martial arts.

However, Tony did not become a specialist in the field of oil and gas production, which would have been indicated in his diploma. The news of the death of his mother was a real blow for the fighter, and in order not to fall into depression, he began to train hard, abandoning his studies. Leaving the university, Tony returned home and worked in his father’s bar. Work in the bar Ferguson still remembers with nostalgia.

Pouring beer to people, being in this atmosphere of fun is a thrill.

After talking with one of the clients, he, having learned about Tony’s success, invited him to the training base of MMA fighters. The first training was not easy for the guy, despite his sports past. In the dressing room he vomited. It was already two months later he entered the regimen and quit his job as a bartender.

In 2008, Ferguson began competing in MMA shows among welterweight fighters, having received a fighter’s license. From the first fights, the newcomer demonstrated an aggressive fighting technique, and in the first two years he lost only 2 fights out of 12 – to Joe Schilling and Karen Darabedyan.

In 2011, Tony signed a contract with the UFC, the largest mixed martial arts organization. In the UFC ring, he first met Ramsay Nijem and knocked him out in the first round.

The fighter became a member of the reality The Ultimate Fighter, where he was mentored by Brock Lesnar. It was then that Ferguson’s artistry manifested itself – it seemed that any little thing could piss him off. He succumbed to provocations, got involved in fights.

To participate in fights, Ferguson chose the frightening pseudonym “El Cucuy” (“nightmare”), which reflected his Mexican origin and impudent character.

Of the 15 fights (as of October 2018) in the UFC, Tony Ferguson lost only one, with Michael Johnson, losing to him on points (13:3). In battle, he broke his arm and took a break for six months, and when he returned, he never let anyone down.

Most of Ferguson’s opponents gave up as a result of masterful choke holds, or were knocked out. The list of Tony’s victories is truly impressive, among the fighters he defeated are such athletes as Danny Castillo, Edson Barbosa, Lando Vannata, Katsunori Kikuno and others.

For several years of participation in fights, the athlete showed his outstanding abilities and honed his unique fighting technique, combining techniques from boxing and jiu-jitsu. With a height of 183 centimeters and a weight of 70 kilograms, Ferguson has become the undoubted favorite among lightweight fighters.

In 2017, Tony defeated Kevin Lee, winning the fight in the last round with his famous choke hold. A year later, in October 2018, El Cucuy pleased his fans with a victory over reigning champion Anthony Pettis. It was a spectacular fight, as a result of which the octagon was sprinkled with the blood of Pettis.

The mixfighter that El Kukuy still longs to fight is Dagestani Khabib Nurmagomedov. They could have met in the octagon back in 2016, but the fight was postponed several times for one reason or another. After Nurmagomedov’s victory over Conor McGregor, Ferguson only became convinced of his desire.

Khabib and I deserve this fight. We must try again, for the fifth time. He is the champion, I was the interim champion. I’m still the fucking champion.

After the fight with McGregor, the father and coach of the “Eagle” Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov announced live that either Ferguson or Canadian Georges St-Pierre will be his son’s next opponent. In the spring of 2018, when the fight between Ferguson and Nurmagomedov was supposed to take place (as a result, the Russian fought with Al Iaquinta), McGregor’s coach shared his prediction. He believes that both Khabib and Tony are excellent grapplers (i.e. good at wrestling technique, not punching). According to him, the fight will last 5 rounds, Nurmagomedov will dominate and win by decision of the judges. But Ferguson, as he called himself, “an animal of another level” – we have no doubt that he will present more than one surprise to the opponent.

Personal life of Tony Ferguson

The athlete lives in Los Santos, California with his family. An indestructible ruthless gladiator in the ring, in life he is a loving father and caring husband. He has known his future wife Kristin since his university days.

In 2012, the young people got married, and in 2016 their first child was born, a boy whom Tony named Armand Anthony, in memory of his stepfather, whom he loved like his own father.

Tony Ferguson is fond of cars, likes to make long trips with his wife and child. He has an impressive collection of edged weapons, most of which was donated to him by friends and fans.

However, in early 2018, it turned out that not everything in the family was as smooth as it seemed. Tony Ferguson started seeing a therapist after his wife filed a police report against him. A recording of Christine’s conversation with the 911 dispatcher came into the possession of the press. In the dialogue, the woman claims that Tony did not harm her and the child, but did strange things, for example, splashed holy water in her face. Based on several interviews with Christine, it can also be concluded that Tony Ferguson suffers from hallucinations, uncontrollable bouts of violence and obsessions. When she went to the police and got a ban on approaching Tony to her and the child, the fighter agreed to visit a psychotherapist and soon posted the following post on Instagram:

“The appointment helped, thank you doctor. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. I really look forward to my next visit. Thanks for the support.

Tony Ferguson now

Ferguson fought Donald Cerrone in 2019. In the first round, the fighters were on an equal footing, but in the second, Ferguson was able to take the hit himself due to pressure. In the third round, Cerrone was injured, causing the fight to be abandoned with Ferguson’s designated victory. The meeting of the fighters was designated as the “Best Fight of the Night”.

At the beginning of 2024, Ferguson’s long-awaited fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov was again postponed. The fact that the fight will not take place, Khabib said on social networks:

It turns out that the whole world should be quarantined, governments of all countries and famous people around the world are calling on people to comply with safety requirements in order to limit the spread of the disease in order to save people, and Khabib is released from all obligations and must demonstrate free will and train while flying around the world risking his life to fight?

According to sports.ru, Nurmagomedov’s refusal caused a mixed reaction among the audience. Even the head of the UFC spoke out, noting that Khabib did not plan to fight Ferguson, so he does not consider the cancellation of the fight unexpected. Throughout the year, Ferguson continually spoke unflatteringly towards Nurmagomedov, hinting at an early meeting with him. Also, when the fighter retired from the sport in 2024, Tony noted that in his eyes, this act is tantamount to defeat. In the same year, Ferguson won two defeats. They included a fight with Justin Gaethje in Florida, which ended in a technical knockout, as well as with Charles Oliveira in Nevada, which was terminated by unanimous decision.