Tony Ferguson has released a statement saying the UFC and his management are helping him “find the help we need” after his wife filed for a retraining order and revealed some startling examples of strange and frightening behavior from the fighter.
After details of downright bizarre behavior emerged following UFC lightweight contender Tony Ferguson’s wife filing for a retraining order against the UFC star, ‘El Cucuy’ has released a statement saying that his management and the UFC are helping him find the help he needs. That comes following the release of court documents detailing the erratic actions of an athlete and human being seemingly in the midst of a breakdown. If not worse.
According to those documents, obtained by MMA Fighting, Ferguson believed he and his son were reincarnations of Jesus, that a great flood was coming was coming as the result of a lunar eclipse — and the fighter had gone as far to purchase a raft in preparation. He accused his wife of taking money from their bank account in order to move to Italy (to which, Cristina Ferguson replied, she is not Italian and knew no one in the country), believed something or someone was in the walls of his home, and believed his son’s food was being poisoned.
Ferguson had in part trashed the family home looking for a hidden door in the fireplace and believing someone was in the walls. During separate incidents, he ran into traffic while stuck on an Los Angeles freeway, and fled with his son in the middle of the night during a rain storm.
Cristina Ferguson noted that her husband had been prescribed Risperidone, a medication whose uses include the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. She also stated that Ferguson had begun to think of her as “evil” and that Ferguson’s behavior toward her had become threatening.
In a statement to the media via her attorney, she wrote that “Tony Ferguson is a good husband and good father to our son. The current legal proceedings are a part of a process to ensure that Tony will receive the help necessary to continue being the best possible, as well as to pursue his passion and career as a UFC champion fighter. All positive well wishes are sincerely appreciated and I hope our privacy will be respected.”
Over the weekend, the former UFC interim lightweight champion released a statement saying “Thank you for all the great support! I’m in a great spirits, UFC & Management are helping me find the help we need. I’m getting all of your messages, keep em’ coming!! Thank you very much for the kind words, my family and team appreciates it. Lots of love my social media fam, keep the faith couldn’t do this sh*t without you. Champ batting clean up.”
Among those kind words were some from divisional rival Conor McGregor, who also released a statement supporting Ferguson. “Tony Ferguson is the type of guy that when all the chips are down, can pick them right back up again and come back stronger than ever!” wrote the former double-champ. “Came back from a debilitating injury in record time to give us one of the fights of the year! Let’s go Tony!!”
Tony Ferguson is the type of guy that when all the chips are down, can pick them right back up again and come back stronger than ever!
Came back from a debilitating injury in record time to give us one of the fights of the year!
Let’s go Tony!!— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 16, 2019
In her request for a restraining order, Cristina Ferguson requested that her husband enter into a 52-week batterer intervention program. She has also requested that he “undergo a psychiatric evaluation and follow any and all prescribed course of treatment and medication.” Additionally, he is to have no contact with their two year old son.
