Life after the UFC is a situation that a lot of fighters struggle with. While some choose to walk away from the sport entirely, others want to continue fighting even after being cut from the promotion. This is where emerging promotions such as Karate Combat, BKFC, and ACA come in. These organizations provide a platform for fighters who might be past their prime but are still competitive enough to attract an audience. ACA vice-president recently revealed his plan of signing names such as Tony Ferguson and Cody Garbrandt among others who fit the bill.
For the uninitiated, ACA, or Absolute Fighting Akhmat is a Russian MMA organization that has been gaining a lot of attention for its roster and matchmaking. Their VP, Aslanbek Badaev recently spoke to the media and expressed his interest in signing talents like Cody Garbrandt for the promotion. He said,
“We need to spread the word when we sign foreign fighters we attract attention. But we have to maintain a balance between having big names and high level of competition. Let’s say we sign Tony Fergusson, he’ll attract attention, he is a well known fighter but we all know he is not competitive. We don’t want to go that route. There are more competitive fighters who are not at the top or are past their prime but whose days are not numbered, like Cody Grabrandt.”
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Badaev also went on to add that Garbrandt had seen one of their events when he came to serve as a cornerman. Therefore, he knows the level of competition in the organization and might be open to joining as well. However, for now, the likes of Tony Ferguson and Cody Garbrandt remain loyal to the UFC.
Ferguson vows to never compete anywhere else other than the UFC
Ferguson established himself as one of the biggest names in the sport thanks to his infamous 12-fight win streak. During that run, Ferguson secured wins over some of the biggest names in the division and eventually earned a title shot. However, it came too late as ‘El Cucuy’ was past his prime by then. After recently losing his eighth fight on the trot, Tony hung up his gloves.
However, instead of placing both gloves on the octagon floor, he placed just one, stating he would keep one with him just in case. However, the California native clearly stated that he loves the UFC and can not see himself competing in any other promotion. Therefore, it will be interesting to see if Fergusson sticks to his word or if he will be tempted into a fight by another organization.
