Tony Ferguson once reigned supreme in the 155-pound division with an impressive streak of twelve consecutive victories. Yet, it has been five years since the former interim lightweight champion celebrated a win. Despite this long stretch without success, Ferguson remains resolute about not retiring, planning a comeback to the octagon in 2025—a move that has drawn comments from Chael Sonnen.
After losing to Michael Chiesa in the opening round at UFC Abu Dhabi last year, Ferguson left behind one of his gloves, sparking speculation regarding his retirement. Following his eighth straight defeat in a rematch against Chiesa, Ferguson opted against retiring and instead signaled his intent to continue competing. Although fans hoped he would rethink his decision, Ferguson recently took to social media to announce, “Fight News Coming Soon.”
Sonnen addressed the developments in a recent YouTube discussion, suggesting that the UFC might have released Ferguson after fulfilling his contractual obligations, potentially leading him to fight elsewhere. “If you sign somewhere, particularly if you were a name like Tony Ferguson, and that was going to be something interesting,” Sonnen pondered while commenting on Ferguson’s unconventional style.
“The first thing they would tell you is ‘do not tell anybody. We are going to roll this out in our way.’ So Tony coming out and saying ‘I have news, oh I can’t tell you’ clearly does not align with how this industry typically operates,” he added, critiquing Ferguson’s method of sharing his return, noting that promoters generally recommend keeping such announcements confidential until an official unveiling.
Chael Sonnen Predicts Jon Jones Will Retire in 2025
Following Jon Jones’ comeback against Stipe Miocic, fans are buzzing about a possible heavyweight title clash with Tom Aspinall. Although Jones initially intended to retire after his victory, he is now preparing for another bout. UFC veteran Chael Sonnen anticipates that Jones will hang up his gloves in 2025, with Aspinall as his last challenger. Sonnen shared this forecast during a discussion with Daniel Cormier on their “Good Guy/Bad Guy” show, where Jones indicated that his match against Aspinall would signal the conclusion of his fighting career, regardless of the fight’s outcome.
“I’m actually very confident in the prediction that Jon Jones retires. I will tell you that Jon Jones is going to fight Tom Aspinall. When that fight is done, win or lose, I genuinely believe it will be Jon’s final appearance,” Sonnen stated.
The bout between Jones and Aspinall has yet to be officially confirmed, as Dana White is still working out the details. Reports also indicate that Jones has requested a substantial compensation, suggesting that the fight’s result may not be his primary concern. Fans are eagerly awaiting an official announcement.
