Tony Ferguson releases statement following sixth straight loss, claims eye poke 'impaired' vision at UFC 291
By Amy Kaplan
Tony Ferguson fans were disappointed again when, for the sixth time in a row, he lost his UFC fight. This time it was a submission at the hands of Bobby Green. Many had assumed he might retire following the loss, but on Sunday he addressed his future and he isn't done with fighting just yet.
"Moving forward, I plan to work closely with Dana, Hunter & my entire team to assess what’s next," he wrote in a lengthy statement.
He also explained that he thinks the eye poke from Green impacted the fight more than the fights might realize.
"As the fight began, I was in the Xone, flowing & feeling confident," he wrote. "Bobby knew the direction of the fight & I believe he knew what he was doing when he poked my eye. He has a big History of moves like this. It significantly impaired my vision, making it difficult to see clearly out of my eye. Despite this eye poke I never considered stopping the fight. Although the doc wanted too. Throughout my career, I’ve always pushed through challenges & never given up. This time was no different."
He also expressed that this was "one of the best camps I’ve had" and "Unfortunately in sports, setbacks like this are part of the journey. While I won’t use the eye poke as an excuse for the outcome, I know for a fact I have more to give."
Ferguson hasn't won a fight since 2019 when he defeated Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. The finish came after Cerrone blew his broken nose between round two and three, which cause his eyelids to swell up and the doctor called off the fight.
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