‘His Time Has Passed’

Times have been tough for Tony Ferguson.

It appears very much as if Father Time has caught up to “El Cucuy.” Since his UFC 249 beatdown suffered at the hands of Justin Gaethje, Ferguson has largely looked underwhelming inside the cage, unable to assert his style or find much real success. He’s been on the wrong end of bad losses and generally looked slow in the process.

Still, there are small reasons for Ferguson fans to be optimistic moving forward. For one, he did manage to stun Michael Chandler in the first round before getting booted in the jaw. Perhaps more importantly, Ferguson has finally accepted the need for a more organized training camp, relocating to Albuquerque, New Mexico to train at the famed Jackson-Wink MMA gym.

Unfortunately, UFC Hall of Famer and color commentator Daniel Cormier doesn’t expect the change to help all that much. While speaking on his ESPN show “DC & RC,” Cormier explained why he believes Ferguson’s time at the top is over.

“Man, this is a bit of a tough one, right? Because I tap in on him chasing down that past greatness,” Cormier said (via MMA Junkie). “I just don’t know if there’s any more of that. I just believe that we all have a time. We all have a time, and I believe that time’s gone. I don’t believe that much is going to change for Tony Ferguson with the camp change. I just believe that his time has passed, and no camp change is going to change that.”

Prior to Ferguson’s current four-fight losing streak, he had won 12 in a row and earned an interim title. Though a shot at undisputed gold never materialized, Ferguson was widely viewed as one of the best Lightweights of his era, meaning No. 11-ranked Ferguson has quite a climb ahead of him if he’s to regain past glory.

That journey may start with Dan Hooker, a fellow struggling Lightweight contender in search of a rebound. The Kiwi has been vocally challenging Ferguson to a scrap, and it’s a match up that makes sense for both athletes.