Tony Ferguson and Michael Chiesa, UFC Abu Dhabi Credit: Youtube/UFC
Tony Ferguson has a chance to end a disastrous losing streak and finish out his UFC contract on Saturday when he takes on longtime UFC star and TUF veteran Michael Chiesa in a welterweight bout.
The fight started off slow, with both fighters trying to create distance with plenty of feints, but after a lengthy flurry of probing, Chiesa was able to get behind Ferguson, pushing him against the cage.
After Ferguson unsuccessfully fought back with punches, Chiesa applied a rear-naked choke and submitted Ferguson within the first few minutes of the first round.
Chiesa won with grace and handed the microphone over to Ferguson, who announced his partial retirement from mixed martial arts.
“I’m going to put one glove down but keep the other one just in case,” Ferguson told Daniel Cormier in his post-fight interview.
Ferguson said he wants to continue his fighting career but has no interest in fighting outside of UFC, where he has been for more than a decade.
Chiesa got back in the win column with a stunning submission win, but this may be the last time UFC fans see Tony Ferguson step into the cage.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Michael Chiesa defeats Tony Ferguson by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 3:44
