"I'm Not Washed Up!" Tony Ferguson Fires Back at Critics Ahead of Salt Papi Boxing Clash

"I'm Not Washed Up!" Tony Ferguson Fires Back at Critics Ahead of Salt Papi Boxing Clash originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson is no stranger to adversity, but his upcoming boxing debut against social media influencer Salt Papi on August 30 at Misfits Boxing 22 in Manchester, England, may be the fight that bears the highest risk with the lowest reward. The fight, contested at a weight of 160 lbs. will serve as the co-main event to Darren Till vs. Luke Rockhold, another clash of ex-UFC stars.

The 41-year-old veteran, coming off an eight-fight losing streak in the UFC, is embracing the underdog role in a sideshow exhibition fight that may spell doom for his career if he loses. 

Ferguson recently appeared on the Ariel Helwani Show to address and dismiss his doubters with his trademark intensity.

Watch the full interview here:

“90 percent of the f— comments out there are saying that I'm washed up, I'm old, I should have fucking retired, and all this other bull—,” Ferguson said with frustration. “They're saying that because they can't f— do the sh— that I'm doing. F—... It’s crazy.”

He continued in his bitter tone, saying, “The other 20 percent is saying that Salt Papi is gonna knock me out. So 100 percent of you b— are out there hating on me. You know what? That's more fuel for my fire."

Ferguson’s opponent, Salt Papi (Nathaniel Bustamante), is a 31-year-old influencer-turned-boxer with a 6-2 record in exhibition matches. While Papi may be the younger, fresher fighter, Ferguson insists he’s not underestimating the challenge.

"I saw this guy face to face. He did not talk about knocking me out when I was in front of him," Ferguson told Helwani. "I made sure that he understood where I was coming from, that I'm not f— joking around."

The move to boxing is a sharp pivot for Ferguson, whose unorthodox striking and relentless pressure made him a fan favorite in the UFC, where he rode a 12-fight winning streak and was crowned the interim lightweight champion while the undisputed champ Khabib Nurmagomedov sat out due to injury.

In regard to his old rivals, mainly Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, Ferguson took aim at their character, hoping to reignite years of bad blood.

"We hated each other for a long time, and Khabib's dad did him a favor by keeping him away from me,” Ferguson remarked. “They felt the danger when it came to these f—ing bloody fights.”

He insisted, “That dude [Khabib] will never fight me. Neither he nor Conor would step in the f— cage with me. That is the fear that I instilled in both of those gentlemen that night that I fought [Anthony] Pettis. I was about to take all three of them that night. I f*cking would have just worn all their blood that night.”

Ferguson’s frustration is lingering over never securing a fight with Khabib, a matchup that fell apart multiple times during their UFC careers.

Salt Papi, meanwhile, enters the bout on a three-fight win streak, with all six of his victories coming by stoppage. While he lacks Ferguson’s MMA experience, his youth and evolving boxing skills make him a legitimate threat.

No matter who the opponent is or who is giving him flak, "El Cucuy" isn’t going out quietly. Win or lose, his unshakable self-belief will never allow him to believe his biggest critics.

Related: Veteran UFC Fighter With 80 Fights Makes a Comeback

Related: Dana White Reveals UFC 321 Heavyweight Main Event, Jon Jones Era Officially Over

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 23, 2025, where it first appeared.