Tony Ferguson is leaving no stone unturned as he gears up for his crucial bout against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296.
However, Ferguson – a former interim UFC lightweight champion – has turned heads with his latest training regimen, involving none other than retired Navy SEAL and renowned ultra-marathon runner, David Goggins.
Ferguson’s choice to train with Goggins, a figure known more for his motivational speaking and endurance feats than his MMA expertise, has sparked a mix of curiosity and skepticism in the fight community.
Ferguson, however, remains unfazed by the critics:
That’s the most humbling s*it. It was a crazy experience.
I’m grateful.Everybody else, f*ck you. Being real. Everybody thinks it’s easy. Everybody on f*cking Instagram, they can say whatever the f*ck they want.
They want to train with him.
It’s an experience. It’s life-changing s*it.
The training, described by Ferguson as one of the most challenging experiences of his life, included a grueling ‘hell week’ with Goggins.
This period tested Ferguson’s physical and mental limits, often leaving him struggling to keep food down during the intense workouts:
The reality part, it was hard as f*ck. One of the hardest things I’ve done in my life.
I’m glad I did it. To be real, I didn’t know what chief was about. I really didn’t. I knew that I needed to do it.I showed up, no questions asked. No bulls*it.
It was always: “Yes sir, yes coach.” It didn’t matter what time it was or what we had to do, no questions.No: “How many are we doing? How long are we going to go?” No, whatever.