Off the back of his sensational return to winning ways for the first time since 2019, Tony Ferguson made a rather candid admission.
A former interim UFC lightweight champion, Tony Ferguson made his first outing outside the Octagon overnight in the co-main event of Misfits Boxing 22.
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And turning in a spectacular third-round win, Oxnard veteran Ferguson poured on a brutal barrage against TikTok influencer Salt Papi to win by knockout proper for the first time since 2014.
Following his victory over Nathaniel Bustamante, Ferguson made a rather stark admission about his pre-fight feelings toward the clash.
Tony Ferguson admits nerves almost got the better of him at Misfits 22
Rallying in the second and eventual third rounds to stop Salt Papi with strikes, Ferguson collapsed to his knees in the middle of the ring after the referee called a halt to the contest.
And having won the interim MFB middleweight championship with his win, Ferguson appeared to be overwhelmed with emotion in an outpouring of tears and joy.
Following the win, however, the veteran claimed he was completely “nervous” about his return to action.
“Being real, being an underdog, coming through here, being super nervous at the beginning of camp, and then just trusting the process with my coaches and my cornermen,” Ferguson told assembled media backstage.
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“We came out of here, we did what we wanted to do. And it was a good reminder of who I am, and I’m a fighter,” Ferguson explained.
Tony Ferguson promises ‘killer mode’ after his Misfits 22 win
Scoring his first victory in combat sports since 2019 with last night’s win over Salt Papi, Ferguson denied he cried in the ring after his win in Manchester.
However, with the nerves of his first walk outside the UFC behind him, Ferguson claimed he would now enter “killer mode” ahead of his expected return to the boxing promotion.
“I need one victory to get me back into where I needed to be, which is killer mode,” Ferguson said.
And I bring that confidence back to be able to understand who the f— I am,” Ferguson continued.