‘I have to earn spot’ – Ferguson has no plans to retire

UFC fighter Tony Ferguson says he has no plans to retire after his bout with Michael Chiesa in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

Ferguson, 40, is on a seven-fight losing streak as he prepares for his 24th UFC contest, and 36th MMA bout overall.

The American made his pro debut in 2008 and admitted he has to earn his spot after a string of defeats.

“I don’t feel like this is going to be my last fight. I love the UFC and this is where I’m going to stay,” he said.

“So I have to earn that right. I do have seven losses. Who gets an eighth chance when it goes into this, except for me?

“I do want to be here. I don’t want to go fight for another organisation. Where am I going to go?

“BKFC [Bare-Knuckle Fight Championship] and have Conor [McGregor] work for me again? No, I don’t want to do that.

“Literally, this is home. It’s always been home.”

Chiesa, 36, too is on a losing streak – three in a row in his case – and another loss could spell the end of his time in the UFC.

The fight with Ferguson will be contested at welterweight.

Elsewhere on the card, Briton Jordan Vucenic makes his UFC debut against Guram Kutateladze.

Vucenic, 28, stepped in to fight Kutateladze on just a week’s notice and has won four fights in a row since losing to PFL’s new signing Paul Hughes in Cage Warriors.