Tony Ferguson’s Emotional Win Tainted as Salt Papi Dismisses UFC Legend’s Round 3 Finish

Former UFC champion Tony Ferguson was on an eight-fight losing streak, a historic record, in the promotion before he decided to leave and make his boxing debut. In his first-ever boxing match, ‘El Cucuy’ squared off against Misfits veteran Nathaniel ‘Salt Papi’ Bustamante. Despite his extensive experience in the Octagon, the 41-year-old found himself as the underdog. He was expected to meet the same fate as other MMA fighters crossing over to the squared circle. 

However, Ferguson had other plans. He had some good moments in the early rounds, but Papi was clearly in the lead. That changed, though, in the third round when Tony Ferguson turned up the heat, backing Salt Papi onto the ropes with a barrage of punches. Papi may have deserved a standing eight count, but the referee waved the fight off altogether, handing Ferguson a third-round TKO win. After the fight, Papi shared his take, dismissing the loss. 

“Nothing really. I think I did well, I felt like it was an early stoppage,” Papi told Fred Beck during an interview post-fight when asked about his thoughts. “I didn’t get hurt, I don’t have any scratches on my face. Barely hurt.” Papi explained that he had taken an even worse beating during his fights against Amadeusz Ferrari and Slim Albaher, suggesting that had this referee been officiating in those fights, he would have stopped the fight early. 

Credits: IMAGO

Despite his claims, Papi appears to take his third career loss on the chin. “I felt like I’m not hurt, but it was the right decision. I’m okay. I’m just glad. I’m happy. I’m safe,” he added during the interview. In the meantime, Ferguson appears to have already received another challenge for his next boxing adventure. After the fight concluded, Slim Albaher, who had defeated Salt Papi, hopped on X to challenge Ferguson for a boxing match. 

“I wanna box Tony Ferguson,” Slim wrote. Yet Slim isn’t alone in wanting a piece of Ferguson.

Tony Ferguson receives a fight offer right after his win over Salt Papi

After Ferguson’s exit from the UFC, he was expected to fight Dillon Danis in the Global Fight League (GFL). However, after GFL collapsed, those plans went down the drain, and he decided to make his boxing debut instead. Following his win over Papi, Ferguson and Dillon Danis, who defeated Warren Spencer in the same event, set up a future fight. 

FloSports: FloGrappling Submission Underground 4, May 14, 2017 Portland, OR, USA Jake Shields defeats Dillon Danis in Submission Underground 4 at Roseland Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Al Sermeno-USA TODAY Sports, 14.05.2017 18:50:50, 10059420, FloSports, Jake Shields PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xAlxSermenox 10059420

“We’ve got to do it for the belt now,” Danis told the UFC legend inside the ring. “We’ve got to do it for the MMA belt. You had the UFC belt, now you come for my belt. Congrats on the win.” Ferguson is now the Misfits Boxing Pro interim Middleweight Championship, and Danis won the inaugural Misfits MMA title. 

It appears Tony Ferguson is seeing a career resurgence after his difficult last few years in the UFC. While Papi might not agree with the stoppage, he will have to come to terms with it. What did you think of Ferguson’s win? 

The post Tony Ferguson’s Emotional Win Tainted as Salt Papi Dismisses UFC Legend’s Round 3 Finish appeared first on EssentiallySports.