At 41, Tony Ferguson is set to pen the next chapter of his combat sports journey.
Ferguson is scheduled to make his influencer boxing debut on August 30 at the AO Arena in Manchester, England where he’ll square off against Salt Papi (real name Nathaniel Bustamante) for the MFB interim middleweight title, Misfits Boxing announced Wednesday.
The matchup will serve as the co-main attraction of Misfits Boxing 22: 'Ring of Thrones,' headlined by a showdown between former UFC standouts Darren Till and Luke Rockhold for the MFB bridgerweight title.
Till is gearing up for his third outing under the Misfits Boxing banner. Earlier this year, “The Gorilla” picked up back-to-back wins over Anthony Taylor and Darren Stewart. Since parting ways with the UFC in February 2023, where he held a 6-5-1 record, the former welterweight title challenger has focused fully on boxing.
Meanwhile, Rockhold is set to make his gloved boxing debut after testing the waters in bare-knuckle competition with BKFC in April 2023. He most recently competed at Karate Combat 45 in April 2024, where he earned a TKO victory over Joe Schilling. The former UFC middleweight champion parted ways with the promotion following a unanimous decision loss to Paulo Costa at UFC 278 in August 2022.
When Was Tony Ferguson’s Most Recent Bout?
Tony Ferguson was once regarded as one of the most feared fighters in the UFC, having captured the interim lightweight title during a dominant 12-fight winning streak that solidified his place among the elite. However, the tide eventually turned, and he found himself on the wrong side of history, enduring a tough eight-fight skid.
"El Cucuy" suffered a first-round submission loss to Michael Chiesa at UFC Abu Dhabi in August 2024, marking his final appearance under the UFC banner. Despite the setback, Tony Ferguson never seriously considered retirement. He initially signed with the Global Fight League for a bout against Dillon Danis, but the promotion folded before hosting its inaugural event.
Meanwhile, Salt Papi is a standout in the influencer boxing world, having burst onto the scene with a pair of highlight-reel knockouts. The Filipino-born content creator holds a respectable 6-2 record.