Tony
Ferguson says he wasn’t at his best going into
UFC 296, where he clashed with Paddy
Pimblett.
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The former interim champion revealed that he’d suffered an MCL tear
a month away from his scheduled meeting with “The Baddy.”
“F*cked my sh*t up during a practice [session,] MCL tear,” Ferguson
wrote on social media. “I kept it to myself and put it behind me
‘til after the fight. I trained like no one knew, sh*t hurt so
good. Three weeks before fight time I told a few of my crew.
Nothing changed.
“I recently took care of [my MCL] and had surgery last Thursday one
week after my elbow/arm surgery [both arthroscopies]. Thought I
would get them both done and double down. Got it over with so I can
do what I do best. Beyond rage is an understatement. I feel no
despair, just repair.”
Despite the setback, “El Cucuy” (25-10) elected to keep the injury
under wraps and compete on the Dec. 16 pay-per-view event,
ultimately recording a unanimous decision loss at the hands of the
Liverpool native.
Ferguson is now tied with B.J. Penn for the
most consecutive losses in the promotion (7). Considering his
recent form, fans and well-wishers, including UFC CEO Dana White,
have opined that the American should hang up his gloves. However,
the 39-year-old insists he is far from contemplating retirement and
is eager to return to action after successfully addressing his
injuries.