Tony Ferguson hinted at retirement after dropping his eighth consecutive battle in a row in what is nearly assuredly his last look within the UFC.
Simply moments later backstage, the previous interim light-weight champion seemingly walked again these feedback whereas stating that he is aware of followers would observe him wherever he competes subsequent whereas promising that he’s solely going to “get higher and higher and higher and higher” shifting ahead. Lately retired UFC welterweight Matt Brown understands the difficulties that Ferguson is dealing with with the doable finish of his profession as a result of it’s a standard theme amongst fighters at that degree of the game.
Whereas he was resolved within the determination he made just some months in the past, Brown sympathizes with Ferguson’s struggles to place preventing behind him and transfer onto one thing else.
“Look, whenever you lose eight in a row, it doesn’t matter the place you’re at in your profession — that’s just about OK, you must in all probability name it quits,” Brown stated on the newest episode of The Fighter vs. The Author. “One thing isn’t proper. No matter it’s. If you happen to misplaced your first eight otherwise you misplaced your final eight.
“The issue is he had so many wins, he was interim champion, on like a 12-fight successful streak again within the day. While you get eight [losses], it doesn’t matter. If he had misplaced eight fights in a row firstly of his profession, his first eight fights, he would have stop almost certainly. He would have been like ‘nicely this undoubtedly isn’t the game for me, I misplaced eight fights in a row.’ However as a result of he’s already had that top, he’s considering I can get again to that.”
In some ways, Brown equates the elation felt from successful within the UFC to the euphoria {that a} drug addict may discover whereas getting excessive. However very like doing medicine, Brown is aware of that feeling is simply non permanent and so fighters are continually chasing that rush at any time when they set foot within the octagon.
Maybe the most important distinction is that nothing can equal the cost that comes from successful within the UFC so nearly each fighter struggles to let that go for good.
“It’s like cocaine. It truly is,” Brown stated. “That’s what strolling into an octagon and beating one other man’s ass, particularly the best way Tony did the place he simply f*cking ripped folks’s souls out of their our bodies. That may be a excessive you can not get wherever else, in every other method.
“However you may’t chase that. You’ve acquired to just accept that was the season of your life, and it’s time to maneuver onto a brand new season.”
As a result of Brown doesn’t know Ferguson personally, he can’t tailor any recommendation particularly aimed on the 40-year-old veteran as he reaches a crossroads in his profession.
However incomes his spot on the UFC roster for 16 years earlier than retiring, Brown can undoubtedly communicate to his personal private experiences with preventing after which realizing the time was proper to hold up his gloves for good. He additionally is aware of making that call isn’t going to be straightforward for Ferguson or anybody else as a result of there’s a necessity that preventing fulfills that actually can’t be equaled by anything.
“The rationale I used to be capable of retire was as a result of I used to be only a extra well-rounded individual than that,” Brown defined. “I’ve different issues that fulfill me and provides me reward in life extra than simply preventing. My id isn’t connected to simply solely being a fighter. You type of need to take away your self from the world and type of be alone with your self a bit of bit to comprehend that, a minimum of I did, as a result of in every single place you go, that’s what all people locations your id as.
“All over the place I am going, as an example I used to be simply on the state truthful final weekend and I acquired stopped 5 or 6 instances and other people asking for autographs and photos and pumping me up, asking once I’m going to return again. That fills an enormous void in your soul when you may say ‘yeah, I’m coming again.’ However when you’ve got inform them no, I’m not coming again, I’m accomplished — you are feeling such as you simply let that individual down.”
For Brown, he constructed a brand new function exterior of preventing by opening his gymnasium, which he only in the near past renovated and celebrated an anniversary following his personal retirement from the UFC.
Clearly that’s not going to be a one-size-fits-all for each fighter however Brown says Ferguson wants to hunt out one thing that provides him function that doesn’t contain getting punched within the head for a dwelling any longer.
“What sort of helped me greater than something was there was one quote from [Miyamoto] Musashi and I’m in all probability going to get it tattooed on me sooner or later — every little thing is inside,” Brown stated. “Your entire quote goes there’s nothing exterior your self that’s going to make you greater, richer, stronger, sooner, or higher, every little thing is inside. Search nothing exterior of your self. That’s type of profound to me within the sense as a fighter, that’s what it is advisable to find out about what’s inside your self a bit of bit extra and dig a bit of bit deeper into your individual soul to find who you might be and also you’re in all probability greater than only a fighter.
“Now in case you are only a fighter, then that’s wonderful go on the market and hold preventing and battle till you die. I’ve nothing towards that. However for me, I discovered much more.”
In Ferguson’s case, Brown actually gained’t inform him what to do however the writing appears to be on the wall together with his current dropping streak that may seemingly finish his run with the UFC relationship again to 2011.
“I feel the ethical of the story is Tony must name it quits and discover one thing else to do,” Brown stated. “Possibly he ought to open a gymnasium. I’d be blissful to assist him.”
