Tony Ferguson breaks silence on UFC split, Alex Pereira explains condition for Dricus du Plessis fight, Gervonta Davis' knee under review: MMA News Roundup

Tony Ferguson recently opened up on leaving the UFC and his feelings about how he was treated. Elsewhere, Alex Pereira shared his opinion on a potential Dricus du Plessis fight.

Catch up with today's top combat sports updates, presented by Sportskeeda MMA.

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Tony Ferguson explains why he left the UFC

Once the proud owner of one of the longest active winning streaks in the UFC, Tony Ferguson ended up losing eight fights in a row, holding the record for the longest losing streak in the promotion's history.

After suffering a rear-naked choke submission loss to Michael Chiesa in August 2024, 'El Cucuy' announced he was leaving the UFC and signing with the surging new MMA promotion, Global Fight League. He is scheduled to fight Dillon Danis at a date and venue yet to be announced.

Speaking with Ariel Helwani, the former lightweight title challenger expressed discontentment regarding his tenure in the UFC and how a title shot eluded him time and again:

"I have fought for fu*king, I don't know how many years waiting for a championship and then getting it and then having it taken and then dangling in front of me again... What do you think I am? I'm a human being. I'm not trying to bi*ch and moan, but at least if you do this to me, you're not gonna feel bad for doing it to the next person."

Ferguson was booked to challenge Khabib Nurmagomedov for the 155-pound title on five different occasions, all of which got derailed due to several reasons. The last booked fight was at UFC 249, which was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Justin Gaethje replaced Nurmagomedov and beat Ferguson for the interim belt. Ferguson never won a fight in the promotion again.

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Alex Pereira reveals backstage chat with Dricus du Plessis

Dricus du Plessis called Alex Pereira out at UFC 312 after beating Sean Strickland a second time. The two had a conversation backstage about a potential fight. 'Poatan' spilled the content of their chat in a recent interview with New York Post Sports.

The UFC light heavyweight champion confirmed the previous reports that the South African agreed to fight him at 205 pounds:

"Yeah, it would definitely be at 205 [pounds]. I've said it before: I don't want to cut down to 185 [pounds] anymore. It's just too complicated for the weight cut. Even behind the scenes, I asked him... He was kind of unsure, but he said, 'Sure.' So, we'll see."

Check out Alex Pereira's answer below (4:00):

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Gervonta Davis' result under review for controversial knee

Gervonta Davis sparked a massive controversy by taking a knee in the ninth round against Lamont Roach Jr. to get his face wiped by his corner. He later revealed that "grease" from his hair got into his eyes - a claim that his hairstylist has since denied. The move was declared a 'No Knockdown' by the referee - a call that has been getting severe backlash in the boxing community.

The call is now reportedly under review by the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC). The statement by the commission revealed that a "technical issue" prevented an immediate replay at the time.

"During the round in question, following the commission’s request for the replay video, there was a technical issue preventing the commission from receiving it within the allotted time for review. Therefore, the referee’s in-ring decision was relied upon, and the fight continued." [H/t USA Today]

The fight was declared a majority draw. Many fans believe Roach Jr. was "robbed" by the judges of a win and want the decision to be overturned to a 'No Contest'.