Tony Ferguson Biography

(Retired Professional Mixed Martial Artist)

Birthday: February 12, 1984 (Aquarius)

Born In: Oxnard, California, United States

Tony Ferguson is a professional mixed martial artist, active in the lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship since 2011.  Born to Mexican father, he was raised by his Scottish-American stepfather, who played an important role in his career, guiding him in the right direction. Tony later recalled how he looked at the tournament brackets, wondering who he was going to wrestle next, while his father advised him to concentrate on the current scenario. He began to wrestle while in school and later at college, eventually moving to the West Coast without earning his degree. There he began his career as a mixed martial artist, quickly earning the nickname of El Cucuy.  Trained under various well-known trainers, he has also developed his personal training methods, which are believed to have helped him to garner strength and agility. As of June 2022, he has won 25 matches out of his 32 appearances, also earning a hefty some in bonuses.

14
Quick Facts

Also Known As: Anthony Armand Ferguson Padilla

Age: 40 Years, 40 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Cristina Servin (m. 2012)

children: Armand Anthony

Born Country: United States

Mixed Martial Artists American Men

Height: 6'0" (183 cm), 6'0" Males

Notable Alumni: Grand Valley State University

U.S. State: California

More Facts

education: Grand Valley State University

  • 1

    What is Tony Ferguson known for in the UFC?

    Tony Ferguson is known for his impressive fighting style and unique techniques inside the Octagon. He is a former interim UFC Lightweight Champion.
  • 2

    How many times has Tony Ferguson won the Performance of the Night bonus in the UFC?

    Tony Ferguson has won the Performance of the Night bonus five times in his UFC career for his outstanding performances in the octagon.
  • 3

    Has Tony Ferguson ever fought Khabib Nurmagomedov in the UFC?

    Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov were scheduled to fight multiple times in the UFC, but the fight never came to fruition due to various reasons such as injuries and scheduling conflicts.
  • 4

    What is Tony Ferguson's fighting style?

    Tony Ferguson is known for his unorthodox fighting style that combines striking, grappling, and high-level cardio. He is known for his aggressive and unpredictable approach in the Octagon.
  • 5

    How many consecutive wins did Tony Ferguson have in the UFC Lightweight division?

    Tony Ferguson had a remarkable 12-fight win streak in the UFC Lightweight division before suffering his first loss in several years.
Childhood & Early Life

Tony Ferguson Padilla was born on February 12, 1984 in Oxnard, California. Nothing is known about his biological father except that he was of Mexican heritage. Soon after his birth, his mother married Armand Ferguson, a bar owner of American-Scottish heritage, who gave Tony his surname.

When Tony was still a child, his family moved to Muskegon, Michigan, where he had his schooling at Muskegon Catholic Central High School. Because he was a shy child, his stepfather involved him in sports and encouraged by him Tony soon took up American football, baseball and wrestling.

In 2000, he participated in the Division 8 State Football Championship, playing as a defensive back. He was also selected for the MHSAA Division IV All-State Championship thrice from 2000 to 2002, ultimately winning the title in the 152-lb division in 2002.

On graduating from school, he entered Central Michigan University; but soon took transfer to Muskegon Community College before switching to the Grand Valley State University. During this period, he also changed his major twice; switching from Physical Therapy to Criminal Justice and finally to Nursing.

Although he was undecided about his future and changed his college and major twice, he was steadfast about wrestling, becoming NCWA National Champion in the 165-lb division in 2006. In 2006 and 2007, he participated in the North Central Conference Championship.

For some reason, he did not wait to complete his education; but moved back to California in 2007, where his extended family lived.  There he worked as a salesman during the daytime and as a bartender during the evening.

While serving as a bartender one evening, he was noticed by one of the patrons, who happened to be a trainer at a local MMA gym. The gentleman had noticed his cauliflower ear, which is caused when fluid is collected under the perichondrium due to an injury in the external ear.

Soon, the two began to talk, in course of which the trainer invited Ferguson to work with some young mixed martial artists in his gym. Shortly after this, he decided to pursue mixed martial arts (MMA) as a career option.

Continue Reading Below
Early Career

In 2007, Tony Ferguson began his professional MMA career fighting in small organizations around California.  On April 12, 2008, he had his first professional win, beating Steve Avalos in an event organized by California Xtreme Fighting: Anarchy at the Arena. It was followed by another win in July.

On September 13, 2008, he had his first major win when he beat kickboxing champion Joe Schilling in Total Fighting Alliance event, held in Long Beach.  It was followed by another win against Frank Park.

On February 6, 2009, he suffered his first professional defeat, losing to Karen Darabedyan in an All Star Boxing: Caged in the Cannon event held in Montebello. Thereafter, he went through a winning spree, losing only one match against Jamie Toney on October 16, 2009.

Meanwhile, he continued to apply for competing in the UFC's reality series, The Ultimate Fighter; but did not get any response until he won the welterweight championship in PureCombat. It was only after he amassed a 10–2 professional record that he was allowed to compete in The Ultimate Fighter

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Selected as a welterweight for Team Lesnar by The Ultimate Fighter, Tony Ferguson had to defeat Justin Edwards, Ryan McGillivray, and Chuck O'Neil to secure his place in the final. On June 4, 2011, he made his official debut with The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos Finale.

The competition, also known as The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale, saw him defeating Ramsey Nijem by a knockout in the first round. It not only earned him a UFC contract, but he also received the Knockout of the Night bonus.

After the win against Ramsey Nijem, Ferguson returned to lightweight, facing Aaron Riley on September 24, 2011 at UFC 135, winning the match by TKO after only one round. On December 3, 2011, he snatched another victory; this time defeating MMA veteran Yves Edwards at the Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale.

On May 5, 2012, he lost the first match at UFC l (third in his professional career), losing to Michael Johnson by unanimous decision at UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller, held in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  Thereafter, he had to stay away from competitions for around a year, healing from an arm injury.

On October 19, 2013, he returned to the ring, defeating Mike Rio at UFC 166 by D'Arce choke submission in the first round, earning his first Submission of the Night award. After that he took another break for around seven months.

Continue Reading Below

In 2014, he appeared in three matches, winning all of them. The first one was against Katsunori Kikuno, which he won on May 24 by KO at UFO 173. Next, he defeated Danny Castillo by decision on August 30 at UFO 177 and Abel Trujillo by submission on December 6 at UFO 184 (181)1.

Continuing with his winning spree, he fought and won three UFC matches in 2015, two in 2016, one in 2017, 2018 and 2019 each. Meanwhile, he also fought and defeated Kevin Lee by submission in a Pay-per-View bout marked as UFC 216: Ferguson Vs. Lee on October 7, 2017

From May 2020 onwards, he entered a bad spell, losing each of the four matches— UFC 249, UFC 256, UFC 262 and UFC 274—he fought till May 2022. In addition, he also fought another Pay-per-View bout against Justin Gaethje on May 9, 2000, but was defeated in the fifth round by TKO.

MMA Records

As of June 2022, Ferguson has fought 32 Ultimate Fighting Championship matches, winning 25 of them. Out of the matches he won, 12 were by knockout, eight by submission and five by decision.  Out of the seven matches he lost, two were by knockout, one by submission and four by decision.

Personal Life & Legacy

Sometime in June 2012, Tony Ferguson married Cristina Servin, whom he has credited with providing him with the much-needed support during his MMA career. The couple has a son, Armand Anthony, born on 28th April 2016.

In March 2019, Tony Ferguson suffered from severe paranoia, forcing his wife to file a restraining order against him so that she could get him help for his mental state. However, by April she withdrew the order and he resumed his fights.

Facts About Tony Ferguson
Tony Ferguson is known for his unorthodox training methods, such as using a parachute while running and incorporating gymnastics into his workouts.
Ferguson holds a black belt in both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Taekwondo, showcasing his diverse skill set in mixed martial arts.
Outside of the octagon, Ferguson is an avid skateboarder and often incorporates skateboarding into his training routine.
Ferguson is known for his unique fighting style, which he describes as "crispy" and unpredictable, keeping his opponents on their toes.
Despite his intense competitiveness in the cage, Ferguson is known for his friendly and approachable demeanor outside of fighting, often engaging with fans and fellow fighters alike.

See the events in life of Tony Ferguson in Chronological Order

How To Cite

Article Title
- Tony Ferguson Biography
Author
- Editors, TheFamousPeople.com
Website
- TheFamousPeople.com
URL
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/tony-ferguson-80713.php

People Also Viewed


Jon Jones Biography
Jon Jones
(American)
 
Dustin Poirier Biography
Dustin Poirier
(American)
 
Ronda Rousey Biography
Ronda Rousey
(American)
 
Max Holloway Biography
Max Holloway
(American)
 
Khalil Rountree Jr. Biography
Khalil Rountree Jr.
(American)
 
Claressa Shields Biography
Claressa Shields
(American)
 
Paige VanZant Biography
Paige VanZant
(American)
 
Michael Chiesa Biography
Michael Chiesa
(American)