Former UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson knows what it’s like to leave it all in the gym, but on a recent episode of the highly popular JAXXON Podcast, the jiujitsu blackbelt gave an insight into what it’s like to train with the inspirational endurance athlete, David Goggins. M&F were all ears.
David Goggins’ story should serve as motivation for all. Having completely turned his life around from being a 300-pound bug exterminator, to enrolling as a Navy SEAL, and becoming an Ultra Marathon runner, Goggins is a seriously inspirational figure. His book; Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds, became a New York Times Best Seller and Goggins is now intent on spreading an important message: that we all have a ton of untapped potential that we could realize through the right mindset.
Tony Ferguson, the winner Season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter, famously turned to Goggins after a string of 6 losses in the UFC in the hopes of turning things around ahead of his match with Paddy Pimblett in December of 2023, and while he lost that bout due to a unanimous points decision, Ferguson proved that he would train in the most intense way possible to try and reach his own potential. That included putting himself through “Hell Week.” In the Navy SEALS, Hell Week is made up of five and half days of cold, wet, and extreme training with less than four hours per night’s sleep. While many UFC pundits questioned the appropriateness of this style of training for the MMA legend, Ferguson believes that it was all about building character, to be able to display same will to win that SEALS must achieve in order to go the distance.
Tony Ferguson says that training with David Goggins was sickening work
“El Cucuy” explained to JAXXON and Rampage Jackson on the podcast that his days consisted of three gruelling training sessions per day, and at times, he would need to run to the bathroom to vomit following cardio sessions on the treadmill. Then in the evening, he’d undertake strength and conditioning tasks. Goggins aim was to break the MMA legend, but Ferguson simply retorted with “Yes, Sir,” each time he was put through his paces. Goggins confirmed this fighters’ heart and fire himself, in a revealing Instagram post back in
November, commenting: “The m***f*** gave me a crazy ass smile and I could tell that he had flipped the switch. I was there for the rebirth of El Cucuy.”
While Ferguson did lose that fight against Pimblett, he says that he felt like a winner afterwards. “[Goggins] said, if you were to go in (the SEALS), you would have been one of the f***ing captains,” shared the MMA icon. “But, your Tony f***ing Ferguson. He’s like; ‘Don’t forget that s**t”.
Far from retire, Ferguson also took his opportunity to call out Jake Paul. “I’m gonna fight until the wheels fall off,” he commented about his desire to keep testing his potential.