After his seventh straight loss, the question of whether Tony Ferguson should retire started to buzz again. UFC CEO Dana White is one of the biggest people who believes it is time for the veteran to exit the cage. Yet, for Paddy Pimblett, who defeated the 39-year-old at UFC 296, Ferguson and no one else should handle such a decision.
The Pimblett-Ferguson bout was not the most exciting part of the event, with the Briton defeating the American fighter via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). What seemingly stands out about the fight, though, is the topic of Ferguson’s overdue retirement. White himself affirmed that it is time for the fighter, suggesting Ferguson’s losses to his recent conquerors would justify his opinion.
“I would love to see Tony retire,” White said during the UFC 296-post-fight press conference. “When you talk about a skid, you look at the guys he fought, too. That plays a factor into it, and how did he look right up until he lost? Tonight, Tony looked like he should retire.”
Pimblett, who expressed before the fight that he also wanted to see Ferguson win continuously, contradicted the suggestions. “The Baddy” praised how “El Cucuy” survived all the rounds, believing that it is proof that the opponent still has the strength to continue fighting in the octagon.
“It’s mad the way people are telling him to retire,” Pimblett told reporters at the UFC 296 post-fight press conference. “It’s the person’s decision who’s fighting of when they want to retire. No one will ever tell me when to retire. It’s my decision.
“…He survived. He’s one of the toughest men out there, and hat’s off to him,” Pimblett said. “He’s an absolute legend. As I said before, no one should tell that man to retire. He can retire on his own back when he wants to.”
