I was lucky enough to attend UFC 216 on October 7, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
It’s funny what you do and do not remember about attending a sporting event eight years later. One of my strongest memories is rushing back to my seat to catch Bobby Green vs. Lando Vannata, the incredible back-and-forth war that ultimately took home an additional $50k for the “Fight of the Night” bonus. I remember my wife got a picture with Beneil Dariush after his entertaining draw opposite Evan Dunham. I don’t, however,
really remember watching the co-main event of Demetrious Johnson vs. Ray Borg live, despite its legendary ending sequence that should stand out as an all-time great UFC submission.
Eight years is an awful long time, after all.
UFC 216 can also be looked back at as the peak of Tony Ferguson’s UFC career, the night he submitted a young Kevin Lee to capture UFC interim gold in the main event. It’s the victory that should have really destined him for a long-awaited showdown versus Khabib Nurmagomedov, the “undisputed” champion at the time. Instead, Ferguson would trip over a cable and destroy his knee on April 1, 2018, just six days before he was supposed to finally face ”The Eagle.“
Though “El Cucuy” would defeat two more excellent fighters in Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone, there’s no doubt the knee injury hampered his career. While still a mean S.O.B., Ferguson was slower and less devastating in his return. The lack of speed cost him greatly opposite Justin Gaethje, who effectively ended Ferguson’s career with a 23-minute barrage of power shots to the skull.
Since the Gaethje loss in 2020, Ferguson has lost seven more fights. Four of those defeats came via stoppage, and if we’re being generous, two were competitive. Mostly, it’s been one way traffic, as Ferguson no longer has the prerequisite athleticism to make his wonky fighting style work.
Ferguson was released from the UFC last year after his historic eight-fight losing streak. It’s abundantly clear that Ferguson is no longer an elite athlete by any means. Call him “long in the tooth” if you’re being generous and “washed” if you’re being honest — everybody knows the glory days of “El Cucuy” were eight years ago now.
Even so, Ferguson continues on. He signed with GFL before they imploded, and he’s found a new home in Misfits Boxing. There’s still value in the “El Cucuy” brand, and ruthless combat promotions are going to make use of it. In the case of Misfits, the promotion is clearly hoping to squeeze every remaining drop of combat legitimacy from Ferguson onto “Salt Papi,” real name Nathaniel Bustamante.
Who the f—k is Salt Papi? I won’t claim to understand his appeal as an influencer (Google tells me he gained fame by imitating “Salt Bae,” which is baffling on several levels), but the 6-2 boxer can crack. He moves fluidly, puts together combinations well, and — most importantly — is just 31 years old. He’s widely favored to defeat Ferguson, who even at his best was better with elbows and snap kicks than classic boxing combos.
Still … this is a monstrous step back in competition for Ferguson. The worst person to beat him during his losing streak was Michael Chiesa, an Ultimate Figher (TUF) winner who did achieve UFC Top 10 status for a time. There is at least some hope of a return to the win column.
What’s on the line for Ferguson (aside from a paycheck)? Ferguson is fighting for pride and self-worth here. He can prove that he hasn’t fallen so far as to be beaten up by an influencer. A Ferguson victory is proof that booking him against an athlete you hope to promote can still backfire, evidence that there is still SOMETHING left in the tank.
There may technical be some silly Misfits title on the line, but dignity is the greater reward.
