Tony Ferguson
26-11-0
About
'El Cucuy' — a cult-hero lightweight whose surreal 12-fight win streak made him a contender, and whose chase of Khabib became the fight that never happened.
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Tony 'El Cucuy' Ferguson is one of the most original and beloved fighters the lightweight division has produced. An Ultimate Fighter winner, he strung together a surreal 12-fight win streak — among the longest in division history — capturing the interim title in 2017 with an unorthodox, relentless style built on weird angles, vicious elbows, and a creative submission game.
His long-awaited bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov was booked and cancelled five separate times, becoming the sport's great what-if. After a brutal 2020 loss to Justin Gaethje, Ferguson entered a lengthy losing skid; critics feel he has fought too long, but his cult-hero status — earned through sheer originality and a refusal to be ordinary — endures.
Why fans love Ferguson
An utterly original style, an eccentric and entertaining persona, and one of the great lightweight win streaks. Fans were captivated by his weirdness and his refusal to fight a normal fight.
Why some fans hate Ferguson
Critics argue he has fought well past his prime, extending a long losing skid that has been difficult to watch, and that his refusal to retire has dimmed the memory of his peak.
