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3 Greatest Bloodtastic Bloodbaths of Tony Ferguson's UFC Career

By Evan Wolff

Tony Ferguson is no stranger to have a lot of blood being shed during his fights, both from him and his opponents.
Tony Ferguson is no stranger to have a lot of blood being shed during his fights, both from him and his opponents. / Harry How/Getty Images

Tony Ferguson is a man who is not shy about being violent. A longtime veteran of the UFC, "El Cucuy" has spent a whole hell of a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in order to emerge from the last seven-plus years on a terrific unbeaten run. It typically isn't a Ferguson fight until the mat beneath him is permanently stained red, both due to himself and his opponents. And while his appearance in UFC 249's main event may be on hold, now is the perfect time to look back at three of his most gloriously bloody moments as a UFC lightweight menace.

3. 2019: The Doctors Save Donald Cerrone

This fight marked some of the worst damage "Cowboy" Cerrone has ever taken during a UFC fight. He has certainly been knocked out before, but never before has his face ever looked quite like this. That all changed when he stepped in to face El Cucuy in June of last year. Ferguson dominated with frightening combinations that caused half of Cerrone's face to swell up. After he mistakenly cleared his nose to try and breathe better, Cerrone's left eye completely swelled shut, creating one of the more graphic images of defeat in recent UFC memory.

2. 2015: Throwing the Kitchen Sink at Josh Thomson

Josh Thomson was left a bloody mess after being dominated by Tony Ferguson.
Josh Thomson was left a bloody mess after being dominated by Tony Ferguson. /

Ferguson has long touted that his elbows are meant to cut with razor-sharp effectiveness, and he put that skill to full effect against Josh Thomson at UFC Fight Night 71. Whether it was elbow strikes from his feet or elbow strikes as he trapped Thomson in his guard, both Thomson's face and Ferguson's fight shorts were stained red from the damage inflicted. Tony's ability to innovate a lethal striking strategy out of any situation has helped him terrorize opponents for years.

1. 2018: "There Will Be Blood," Co-starring Anthony Pettis

When you think of bloody Ferguson fights, his bout with Anthony Pettis immediately comes to mind. "Showtime" suffered some nasty cuts around his face, and oftentimes, you couldn't tell which man was bleeding more. Ferguson even got dropped during the fight, but that didn't deter him from putting his full power behind creative strikes that drained his opponent literally and figuratively. The cage-side doctor had to come in to check cuts a couple times before finally deciding Pettis couldn't continue, and the fight simultaneously became of the most disgusting, entertaining bouts in the very dangerous Ferguson's career.