Ferguson 'far from being retired' after 2nd straight loss

Tony Ferguson isn't going anywhere after suffering a defeat against Charles Oliveira at UFC 256.

"We are far from being retired," Ferguson wrote in an Instagram post earlier this week.

"I have learned so much about myself this year and what my purpose in life is," he added. "My search for that epic word called greatness isn't over."

Oliveira dominated Ferguson in last weekend's co-main event, handing the former interim lightweight champion his second straight loss.

"I felt flat," Ferguson wrote. "I went out and welcomed the attack instead of defend.

"The warm-up time in the back for the UFC hasn't been the same since pre-COVID. Still no excuses, times change and so do people. The time from hotel to the UFC Apex is much more condensed and the aggressive level we needed was not reached. My fault."

Before his current skid, Ferguson won 12 fights in a row from 2013 to 2019. Though he's never challenged for the undisputed UFC title, "El Cucuy" is widely considered one of the best lightweights of all time.