White 'would love to see' Ferguson retire after UFC 296 loss

UFC CEO Dana White thinks it's time for Tony Ferguson to hang up the gloves.

Ferguson, a former interim lightweight champion, suffered his seventh straight loss against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296 on Saturday, tying BJ Penn for the longest skid in promotion history. Pimblett won the fight by unanimous decision.

"I would love to see Tony retire," White said at the postfight press conference.

Ferguson was once considered one of the world's top lightweights, winning 12 in a row from 2013-19. He won the interim championship in 2017, although he never challenged for the undisputed title due to an injury. But the 39-year-old started to decline in 2020, which has snowballed into a bevy of defeats.

"El Cucuy" has been finished in four of his last seven Octagon appearances. He went the distance with Pimblett, but White believes Saturday's performance was particularly indicative of someone who shouldn't be competing.

"When you talk about a skid, you look at the guys he fought, too," White added. "That plays a factor into it. And how did he look right up until he lost? Tony, tonight, looked like he should retire."