Yahoo Sports Tony Ferguson targets early 2025 UFC return: 'I'm too old to retire'
UFC veteran Tony Ferguson has reiterated that he's not going anywhere.
Ferguson (25-11 MMA, 15-9 UFC) pondered retirement when he suffered his eighth consecutive loss at UFC on ABC 7 this past August. He laid down one glove in the octagon after losing to Michael Chiesa but walked back his thoughts immediately.
Although UFC CEO Dana White said he would like to see the former interim lightweight champion call it a career, Ferguson insists he still feels good. He plans on reaching out to the UFC himself when he's ready to fight.
"I left half a f*cking glove in there, and I got it back, so that just tells me I got both pairs of gloves," Ferguson told Demetrious Johnson on his YouTube Channel. "We're going to probably take the rest of this season, figure some things out, and we're coming back hard either January or February, so stay tuned. F*ck no, I'm not retiring. I'm too old to retire.
"I'm 40 years old. I'm halfway to 80. I've been competing since I was 5 years old in multiple sports. I've wrestled in college. I've done all the other stuff, and it's not like I don't know anything else. I do. I'm still able to compete. When somebody can run a sprint faster than me, then maybe I'll start to consider it."
Ferguson, who recently sought help from former Navy SEAL David Goggins, plans on reaching out to other coaches to help him rebound. One coach he has in mind is Firas Zahabi, head coach of former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
"What I really need is to find that coaching and that discipline around other people," Ferguson said. "Being uncomfortable in practice so that way you're not miserable in the fight. I approached a couple different coaches. Firas Zahabi is one of the coaches I've always admired, because he was GSP's coach, and GSP was always my target."
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This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Tony Ferguson targets early 2025 UFC return: 'I'm too old to retire'
