Tony Ferguson Scoffs at Claim he Was Dominated by Charles Oliveira

The consensus is that Tony Ferguson was decisively beaten by Charles Oliveira at UFC 256. So much so, there’s been extensive debate and discussion about whether ‘El Cucuy’s’ best days are behind him.

Well, following his loss to Oliveira, Ferguson is firing back at that narrative. 

Ferguson claims Oliveira was “mentally broken” in round one

The former interim lightweight champ faced Oliveira at the recent event, which marked the first time he had competed since May, when Ferguson was stopped by Justin Gaethje. Leading up to the fight, it seemed like most people believed Ferguson would get by the surging Oliveira.

‘Do Bronx’ turned heads, however, by controlling the vast majority of the fight with his wrestling and top-game. After 15 minutes, there was no question Oliveira would be awarded the win, and he was, via 30-26 scores by all three judges.

The fight was widely called a dominant win for Oliveira, but in a recent Instagram stream, Ferguson took issue with that narrative (quotes via MMA Fighting).

“We’re not gonna waste any energy here, and you guys shouldn’t either in jiu-jitsu matches,” Ferguson said while watching footage of Oliveira working from the top position in their fight.

“Just be patient and wait for the opportunity for him to advance and get so lazy that in the third round he doesn’t even advance to mount anymore.

What he does is he stays controlled into side position looking for something completely different, a different move because he was mentally broken in the first round.”

“I went back and kind of watched film, and without the commentary and how all like, ‘Oh, you got dominated, this and that.’

Okay, to the untrained people in jiu-jitsu,” Ferguson said. “Advancing positions in traditional styles of martial arts, you will get points, advantages, and different types of points.

But the judging and the contesting as far as the commission, I don’t even know if it’s there. I’m gonna be real, I don’t.”

Ferguson also lashed out at ‘Big’ John McCarthy and Josh Thomson over comments they apparently made regarding the fight and his future.

“So a question for John McCarthy and The Punk, no I’m not getting f*cking cut,” Ferguson concluded.

“Josh, come on dog, you got your ass kicked. Don’t start that sh*t. The fans love me. They want to see me fight again. And I love you guys too.”

Thoughts?

Given how competitive Ferguson is – he refused to tap when Oliveira was cranking on his arm in round one – these comments aren’t that surprising. But, chances are they’re not going to change the minds of folks who believe he was dominated in that fight.

Yes, it’s not like Ferguson emerged from the bout battered and bloodied. But, Oliveira did outstrike him by a 86 to 26 margin and controlled almost all of the fight.

Think about that. In a fight featuring Ferguson, after 15 minutes, he had only landed 26 strikes. 

All that aside, it will be fascinating to see how the soon to be 37-year-old Ferguson looks in his next bout.