Former UFC lightweight contender Tony Ferguson isn’t ready to let go of a potential matchup with controversial grappler Dillon Danis, despite their previously scheduled bout falling through.
Speaking candidly about his future plans, Ferguson made it clear that he still has his sights set on facing Danis under the GFL banner.
“GFL, I’m telling you, it’s NOT over,” Ferguson stated emphatically in an interview. “I want to compete against him.”
The 41-year-old Ferguson was originally slated to face Danis at GFL 1 on May 24, but the event was canceled. Despite this setback, “El Cucuy” remains optimistic about the matchup eventually materializing.
“The cool thing is, is like [when] stuff falls through, but what you always do is you gotta stay ready,” Ferguson explained. “I’m in contact with the commission. I can’t say too much with some things, but I know that one thing, I’m being offered a lot of grappling matches.”
Ferguson, who parted ways with the UFC in 2024 after a challenging stretch of performances, appears rejuvenated by new opportunities outside the octagon. He’s particularly interested in grappling competitions, which would play to Danis’s strengths as a jiu-jitsu specialist.
“Everybody wants to see me compete,” Ferguson continued. “When I was competing with the UFC, I wanted to play professional baseball, and go professional boxing and do a lot of things. Three-sport athlete can help it.”
Despite being in his forties, Ferguson insists age is just a number. “I’m 41 years old, but I feel like I’m 20-something-year-old doing sprints and still keeping up and beating all these young guys.”
For Ferguson, passion remains the driving force behind his athletic pursuits. “The interest has to always be there. If the interest isn’t there, why would I want to do that anyway?”
After a period of what he describes as feeling “rusty,” Ferguson appears to have rediscovered his joy for competition. “For a while it was kind of rusty… But beforehand, you saw me smiling a lot, especially when I was bloody. When I’m having fun, everybody else around me has fun.”
As for making the Danis matchup happen, Ferguson expressed willingness to take a leadership role if necessary: “If I have to carry a promotion, I’ll do it.”
While the timeline remains uncertain, Ferguson’s determination to face Danis suggests combat sports fans may yet see this intriguing matchup come to fruition.
