After winning the interim Misfits middleweight title earlier this year, former UFC interim champ Tony Ferguson returned to action on Saturday in Dubai, at the aptly named “Fight Before Christmas” card.
After finishing his UFC run on an eight-fight skid albeit against top competition, Ferguson had earned his first win in years when he defeated “Salt Papi” in August. On Saturday, it was Warren Spencer standing across from Ferguson, long a fan favorite in the MMA world, many of whom had followed him over to boxing.
Spencer, for his part, technically had more boxing experience, 2-0 as a pro with a handful of exhibition bouts. Ferguson, however, had far more combat experience overall, and towards the end of the opening round began finding a home for his right hand.
That left hand connected again in the second, and while Spencer briefl y stood and traded with “El Cucuy,” it didn’t last. Mostly, he was retreating, and soon Ferguson began unloading on Spencer, who seemed to want nothing to do with the exchange. His retreat saw the bout paused by the ref, to the displeasure of fans, but on the restart, Ferguson dropped Spencer, then got in his face, taunting the fallen foe. That brought about a “Tony” chant among the fans in Dubai, while Spencer complained about blows to the back of the head.
Ferguson opened round three connecting with a left, and again Spencer was retreating. He’d battle back later in the round, coming off the ropes hot. Still, it was Ferguson connecting more, showing better movement, and better cardio. Spencer connected with his jab later in the round, but a right hand hurt him, and Ferguson briefly trapped him in the corner. A firefight followed, both men landing, with Spencer really in the fight for the first time, though Ferguson still looked to be ahead.
It was Spencer landing a big left early in round four of a possible five. A couple of follow-ups hit the mark as well, giving Spencer the best start to any round in the fight to date. Ferguson came back, however, walking Spencer down. Spencer was proving that he wouldn’t go away easy, especially after the knockdown in the second. He drilled the body with a right hand, and Ferguson had a bit of a delayed reaction. They wound up crashing into the ropes, the fight briefly paused, benefitting Fergson. Spencer would start going to the body, and Ferguson had his hands down. That allowed Spencer to tag Tony upstairs, and Spencer had the fourth round in the bag.
Given the knockdown in the second, Spencer was quite possibly looking for a finish if he wanted to claim the Misfits middleweight title. It was Ferguson coming forward once again in the final frame, apparently recovered from the damage in the fourth. With a minute and a half to go, Spencer lost his mouthpiece, and a tooth apparently along with it, a sign of his much damage Ferguson had done early in the bout. Ferguson’s jab was still there, and he backed Spencer up; Spencer ripped the body in response, but simply didn’t have it in him to find the finish. Spencer slipped late in the round, taking precious time off the clock. It was Tony tagging Spencer late, only the ropes holding him up and preventing another knockdown prior to the final bell!
For a Misfits bout with Ferguson competing as a boxer for just the second time, it was a highly entertaining affair for what it was. No shock, Ferguson got the nod from the judges, becoming the Misfits undisputed middleweight champion in his second win of 2025.
Official Result: Tony Ferguson def. Warren Spencer by unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 48-46)
