"I promise NOBODY wants to see this" - Fans react as Tony Ferguson reveals he was in "heavy negotiations" for a fight with KSI

Tony Ferguson recently revealed that he was in talks to face KSI in a boxing match before the GFL draft went down. The ex-UFC lightweight also revealed that he was keen on accepting the offer and was even ready to attend a press conference for the bout.

Last August, Michael Chiesa handed Ferguson his eighth consecutive loss in the octagon via first-round submission at UFC Abu Dhabi. In January 2025, it was revealed that 'El Cucuy' had parted ways with the UFC after setting the record for having the longest losing streak in company history and signed with the GFL.

During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Ferguson opened up about being offered a boxing match against KSI before the GFL draft. Expressing how keen he was to accept, he said:

"So I was offered a boxing match against KSI. We were in heavy negotiations, which was awesome. I'm ready to take the fucking fight because in MMA we don't get to wear shoes... They had me wanting to go do a press conference the week after, and I was really down."

After @ChampRDS posted a clip of Ferguson's statements on X, fans flocked to the post's comments section to express their reaction.

One fan wrote:

"I promise NOBODY wants to see this."

Another posted:

"KSI makes fun of Jake Paul fighting old people, but he’s over here trying to fight a 50-year-old footballer and a washed old Tony Ferguson."

Check out some more reactions:

Screenshots from @ChampRDS on X

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Tony Ferguson addresses departure from UFC after more than a decade of service

During the same interview, Tony Ferguson also opened up about leaving the UFC and how it was the "hardest" experience for him. Ferguson fought in the UFC for over 10 years after being signed in 2011 and won the interim lightweight title against Kevin Lee in October 2017.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani, 'El Cucuy' reflected on departing from the UFC and outlined his experience. He said:

"I have to tell you, I packed up all my UFC stuff and put it into bags. It was the hardest f**king thing I had to do. It was a couple of days where it took time for me to be able to adjust. I put everything in big storage bags, and I was ready to move on.. This entire process hasn’t been a disappointment, but it has been a learning experience."