After some significant changes in his training camp, Tony Ferguson says he is a “brand new person” going into his fight against Michael Chiesa at UFC on ABC 7.
Ferguson will trade leather against fellow veteran Chiesa in a welterweight matchup at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Once the owner of a 12-bout winning streak, Ferguson has since dropped seven bouts in a row. Ferguson will surpass BJ Penn for the longest losing streak in UFC history if he falls to Chiesa.
However, “El Cucuy” has made some significant changes in his training regimen, starting with joining Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu. Ferguson claims to have sparred over 120 rounds, which was facilitated by a feeling of safety with trusted training partners. The 40-year-old also says he underwent two surgeries this past January. He has since fully recovered from those procedures.
“I lost track after a 120 [rounds]. So to be real, finding a comfortable enough area with the team that I can trust, good people that will push the pace with me. Not just go and try to take my head off so I get pissed off and try to break their s—t,” Ferguson told ESPN. “I’m in a good spot, less of a weight cut this time. So mentally, physically I feel a lot better and Michael Chiesa is gonna have his hands full. I’m a brand new person. Two surgeries out in January, here we are in the middle of f—-ing August so I’m ready to go.”
Ferguson and Chiesa were previously slated to fight in 2016 before Chiesa pulled out due to injury Chiesa was replaced on short notice by Lando Vannata, who suffered s second-round submission loss against Ferguson. While “Maverick” claims his preparation for the upcoming clash is quite similar to last time, Ferguson warns that he is not the same fighter. Ferguson promises to display his recently improved wrestling game and look for a quick finish.
“I’m definitely not the same person,” he said. “So I prepared for Michael Chiesa a couple of times… He’s like one of my previous fighters that I went up against, Ramsey Nijem. Uses strikes to go for a takedown. But I did a lot of wrestling this camp, and it’s been a while since I remember that I was a wrestler. So you’re gonna see some interesting things but I’m gonna go in there looking for the finish fast.”
Currently on a three fight skid, Chiesa has been primarily focused on his analyst duties for the UFC in recent times. The 36-year-old suffered a first-round submission loss against Kevin Holland at UFC 291 in July 2023, which marked his return to action after a hiatus of nearly two years.
