Colby Covington shared his thoughts on Tony Ferguson‘s triumphant boxing debut last weekend. He urged Ferguson to retire and believes his win was the perfect send-off for his legendary career.
Ferguson, 41, left the UFC last year while on an eight-fight losing skid. He later signed with the GFL, an upstart MMA league. However, they cancelled their events prior to their official debut.
With limited opportunities available and a strong desire to compete, Ferguson joined Misfits Boxing. He faced influencer Salt Papi at Misfits Boxing 22 in a surprising matchup.
Ferguson entered the fight as a clear underdog. Despite the odds, he secured a 3rd round TKO to capture the vacant MFB middleweight championship. It marked his first win since 2019.
Covington congratulated Ferguson on his victory, but strongly urged him to retire from competition.
“Congratulations to Tony [Ferguson] for actually winning a fight. Even though it was against some influencer that has no combat sports experience, a win’s a win,” Covington said in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel. “My advice to Tony is quit while you’re ahead and ride off into the sunset. Go enjoy some time with you family, brother.”
‘Chaos’ suggested Ferguson to spend more time with his family and avoid further damage.
“If you get back in there again, you’re going to get hurt, and no one wants to see you get hurt, Tony, because we like you. No more hits to the head.”
Colby Covington Describes Relationship with Tony Ferguson
Covington also discussed his relationship with Ferguson. The two had a memorable exchange during the UFC 296 pre-fight press conference in 2023.
Their interaction began as a heated exchange. However, it quickly turned into mutual respect. Both fighters found common ground through a similarity with their opponents.
Covington challenged Leon Edwards for the welterweight championship, while Ferguson fought Paddy Pimblett. Both are Americans and their opponents came from the UK.
In his YouTube video, Covington admitted that he felt unsure about the nature of their relationship.
“I think we’re friends, I don’t know, [that press conference] went so many different ways,” Covington said. “We were friends, we were enemies, we were friends, and then we were enemies again, but Team USA, brother.”
Ferguson Speaks on Misfits Boxing Future
Ferguson spoke about his victory over Salt Papi in his Misfits Boxing debut. He has gone through ups-and-downs in his career, especially with his losing streak, so getting the win was significant.
Speaking to MMA Fighting, Ferguson described the preparation that went into his boxing debut and was satisfied with his performance. ‘El Cucuy’ expressed interest in continuing to box for Misfits and is eager to compete again.
“I want to box. This is something else that’s a dream come true. 1-0, I’d like to be 2-0,” Ferguson said. “We’re here to stay, I’m a misfit, so we’ll figure this [expletive] out.”
There are several options for Ferguson in Misfits, especially now that they have booked an MMA bout. He could continue to box, or could even compete in MMA if the right offer and opponent arises.
Colby Covington Urges Tony Ferguson to Retire After Misfits Boxing Victory