Ferguson Won His Title Defense Weeks After His Mother Died

Tony Ferguson defended his Misfits Boxing middleweight title against Egyptian Olympic wrestler Mahmoud Sebie with a second-round TKO, stepping into the ring about a month after his mother died of a massive heart attack in August.

The former UFC interim champion said the week of the fight was unlike any other he has had, in the UFC, MMA or boxing. "I was nervous, man. This whole week was just different compared to any other fights I've had, from UFC to MMA to boxing, whatever it is. My mom has always been there physically, and this time it was a little bit different, but I didn't feel any void because I felt the energy."

A mother on the road

Ferguson's mother had accompanied him through much of his Misfits run. In a second interview with the same reporter, just before the fight, he said he had traveled the world with her.

How the fight went

Ferguson, 42, began with a high volume of strikes and went to the body regularly. Sebie knocked him down with a left hook with just over a minute left in round one. Ferguson came back with shots of his own, and with ten seconds left Sebie dropped his guard against the ropes, which let Ferguson land a flush combination that put Sebie down. Sebie recovered in time, and the fight went to round two.

Sebie started the second with a lot of fire and pressed Ferguson into the corner for several strikes, but the effort cost him in cardio. Ferguson trapped him in a corner and landed a barrage, and the referee stopped the fight at 0:42. Ferguson said one blow "woke me the f--- up" before he finished it. Afterward he said the win was less about himself and more about the people who never hesitated to support him.

What is next

Ferguson said he will "fight anybody" and wants another victory this year, possibly in December. Austin McBroom, who is 2-2 in his crossover boxing career, has been discussed as a challenger.

Source: MMA Sucka