Tony Ferguson has always lived in extremes: extreme pressure, extreme chaos, and extreme belief. But in recent years, those extremes turned darker. The 8-fight losing streak became its own weight, the criticism relentless, and the spark that once made him unpredictable slowly faded. Even he could feel it — he just couldn’t name it. Not until someone else spotted it for him.

That someone was David Goggins, a man who speaks the language of suffering fluently. When Ferguson eventually opened up about that moment, it didn’t sound like fight analysis; it sounded like a man retracing mental collapses. He’d been carrying the losses for so long that it took an outsider — a brutally honest one — to spot the missing switch.

David Goggins helped diagnose Tony Ferguson’s downfall

When Ferguson reflected on the lowest stretch of his career, he repeated exactly what Goggins drilled into him: “Tony, when you get inside that cage, something switches off… you need to find it again.” It wasn’t disrespect — it was clarity. And it hit even harder after he endured Goggins’ four-day Hell Week, a barrage of cardio, walking lunges, push-ups, and mental punishment.

‘El Cucuy’ became the first person to ever complete the program, even though the grind was meant to prepare him for Paddy Pimblett, whom he ultimately lost to. But that’s where he believes the real shift began. “We found that s—,” he said, comparing himself to a plant starved of sun for years.

It doesn’t turn green overnight; it needs time, consistency, and the right conditions. As he put it: “When you take a plant that’s kind of malnourished or not getting enough sun… it doesn’t turn green right away. It takes some time… then be able to bear fruit.”

So he changed everything: his training, his rest, and even the small habits that kept him stuck. And the payoff is clear. Tony Ferguson feels alive again after switching to boxing and finally breaking the losing streak that haunted him. Now he’s preparing for Warren Spencer on December 20 in Dubai and already looking toward 2026.

He told The Schmo, “Well, we already know I’m going to go out there, I’m going to get this job done, and then we’re going to be looking forward to next year.” Whether this resurgence lasts or becomes another chapter of reinvention, the one certainty is that someone finally helped him find the switch he’d been searching for. And for his future, a familiar veteran already has an idea in mind.

Chael Sonnen pits Ferguson against Conor McGregor

Chael Sonnen has wasted no time pushing Ferguson into a new conversation — one that leads directly to Conor McGregor. Ferguson is rebuilding, rediscovering himself, and carving a new identity in boxing. Sonnen sees that and immediately pairs him with the sport’s most polarizing figure, someone unconcerned with rankings or contender status.

On his YouTube channel, Sonnen put it bluntly: “It’s not going to be a title fight… It’s not going to be a number one contender fight… Conor can fight anybody.” And within that “anybody,” he included Ferguson, pointing out that both men sit outside the rankings but still carry the name value perfect for a high-profile White House card.

To Sonnen, this isn’t about belts or rebuilding divisions — it’s about creating a moment. He summed it up cleanly: “Tony Ferguson would not be off the table… This is a one-night-only event.” No long-term stakes, no consequences, just pure spectacle. Whether it happens or stays a Sonnen fantasy matchup, one thing is clear: Ferguson’s resurgence has already pushed him back into conversations that once seemed out of reach.