Tony
Ferguson spent the vast majority of his career living up to his
terrifying nickname. “El Cucuy”—which translates to “The Boogeyman”
in English—turns 40 on Feb. 12.
An Oxnard, California, native, Ferguson made his professional mixed
martial arts debut in 2008, tore up the regional circuit and burst
onto the international stage when he won Season 13 of “The Ultimate
Fighter” a little more than three years later. He rattled off 15
victories across his first 16 appearances under the
Ultimate Fighting Championship flag, settling in as one of the
sport’s premier lightweights and one of the UFC’s most popular
draws. Injuries, mileage and Father Time have all conspired against
Ferguson in the twilight of his remarkable career. He currently
finds himself on a seven-fight losing streak—those seven opponents
hold a combined record of 177-58-2—and without a clear direction
moving forward. Ferguson last competed at UFC 296, where he dropped
a unanimous decision to
Paddy
Pimblett in December.
Others in MMA celebrating a birthday during the month of
February:
FEB. 1
Naoki
Sano, 63
Kyle
Sturgeon, 61
Bill
Mahood, 57
Igor
Pokrajac, 45
Chris
Tickle, 42
Sinead
Kavanagh, 38
Sam
Sicilia, 38
Ronda
Rousey, 37
Alan
Baudot, 36
Jared
Papazian, 36
Justin
McNally, 33
Nariman
Abbasov, 30
FEB. 2
Bounmy
Somchay, 51
Shigeyuki
Uchiyama, 51
Hector
Lombard, 46
Denis
Stojnic, 44
Yusuke
Kawanago, 41
Matt
McCook, 39
Raul
Amaya, 38
Herbert
Burns, 36
Adlan
Ibragimov, 35
Eric
Shelton, 33
Lance
Gibson Jr., 29
Akraman
Alaev, 22
FEB. 3
Shad
Smith, 51
Doug
Marshall, 47
Rodrigo
Damm, 44
Ricardo
Tirloni, 41
Mei
Yamaguchi, 41
Phillipe
Nover, 40
Daniel
Teymur, 36
Eduardo
Dantas, 35
Damir
Ismagulov, 33
Matt
Ramirez, 31
Montserrat
Ruiz, 31
Natalia
Silva, 27
FEB. 4
Johnathan
Ivey, 48
Andrei
Arlovski, 45
Igor
Gracie, 44
Satoru
Kitaoka, 44
Luiz
Cane, 43
Yaotzin
Meza, 43
Kristi
Lopez, 41
Anvar
Alizhanov, 35
Hugo Cunha,
31
Shamil
Magomedov, 31
Alex
da Silva Coelho, 28
Andre
Lima, 25
FEB. 5
William
Sriyapai, 52
Antoni
Hardonk, 48
Lyle
Beerbohm, 45
Johnny
Cisneros, 44
Leonardo
Santos, 44
Kyle
Bochniak, 37
Bubba
Jenkins, 36
Joaquim
Silva, 35
Nah-Shon
Burrell, 34
Adam
Wieczorek, 32
Rodolfo
Bellato, 28
Solomon
Renfro, 27
FEB. 6
Jeff
Bedard, 54
Waachiim
Spiritwolf, 48
Vik
Grujic, 47
Shinichi
Kojima, 45
Mamoru
Nakamura, 43
Vitaly
Minakov, 39
Andrew
Holbrook, 38
Ryan
Hollis, 35
Khalil
Rountree, 34
Aleksandar
Rakic, 32
Jack
Shore, 29
Simeon
Powell, 25
FEB. 7
Tra
Telligman, 59
Tait
Fletcher, 53
Mariusz
Pudzianowski, 47
Haruo
Ochi, 40
Derrick
Lewis, 39
T.J.
Dillashaw, 38
Lance
Palmer, 36
Cesar
Avila, 35
Jae Hyun
So, 35
Ray
Cooper III, 31
Dilano
Taylor, 27
Nat
Jaroonsak, 25
FEB. 8
Kevin
“Kimbo Slice” Ferguson, 1974-2016
Yuki
Ishikawa, 47
Jaime
Jara, 45
Dave
Courchaine, 41
Will
Santiago Jr., 41
Chan
Rothana, 38
Amber
Leibrock, 36
Syuri
Kondo, 35
Pawel
Pawlak, 35
Makhmud
Muradov, 34
Nikolas
Motta, 31
Auttumn
Norton, 30
FEB. 9
Hiroyuki
Abe, 54
Chris
Clements, 48
Tiki
Ghosn, 47
Mark
Munoz, 46
Tim
Stout, 45
Charlie
Brenneman, 43
Jake
Hecht, 40
Henry
Cejudo, 37
Felipe
Arantes, 36
Darko
Stosic, 32
Yuya
Wakamatsu, 29
Abdulaziz
Ibragimov, 25
FEB. 10
Paul
Jones, 61
Masakazu
Imanari, 48
Matt
Horwich, 46
Nick
Ring, 45
Mariusz
Radziszewski, 40
Kamil
Lebkowski, 36
Shamil
Gaziev, 34
Islam
Mamedov, 34
Andres
Ponce, 31
Modestas
Bukauskas, 30
Raiymbek
Orynbai, 30
Myktybek
Orolbai, 26
FEB. 11
Evan
Tanner, 1971-2008
Ken
Shamrock, 60
Ali
Mokdad, 41
Stephen
Thompson, 41
Vagab
Vagabov, 38
Andrea
Lee, 35
Bec
Rawlings, 35
Megan
Anderson, 34
Petr
Yan, 31
Movsar
Evloev, 30
Joanderson
Brito, 29
Nainoa
Dung, 25
FEB. 12
Jon
Madsen, 44
Eric
Lawson, 43
Patrick
Brady, 40
Tony
Ferguson, 40
Yosdenis
Cedeno, 39
Joey
Miolla, 39
Hunter
Tucker, 38
Luke
Jumeau, 36
Jessica
Sotack, 33
Hailey
Cowan, 32
Stefan
Sekulic, 32
Ion Pop
26
FEB. 13
Elvis
Sinosic, 53
Dean
Lister, 48
Anthony
Lapsley, 44
Ewerton
Teixeira, 42
Pedro
Nobre, 38
James
Bochnovic, 35
Kizaemon
Saiga, 35
Dan
Hooker, 34
Lucas
Barbosa, 32
Shawn
Teed, 32
Pingyuan
Liu, 31
Khusein
Askhabov, 29
FEB. 14
Steve
Vigneault, 46
Hiroshi
Nakamura, 43
Oleg
Borisov, 41
Kenny
Robertson, 40
Ivan
Buchinger, 38
Tyler
McGuire, 38
Micah
Miller, 37
Chris
Mierzwiak, 36
Jayson
Jones, 35
Irwin
Rivera, 35
Joey
Diehl, 33
Montana
De La Rosa, 29
FEB. 15
Ray
Sefo, 53
David
Baron, 51
Karla
Benitez, 45
Thor
Skancke, 41
Brian
Rogers, 40
Alex
Soto, 40
Cezar
Ferreira, 39
Steven
Siler, 37
Ciro
Rodrigues, 35
Emiliano
Sordi, 33
Khalid
Taha, 32
Ben
Tynan, 30
FEB. 16
Frank
Caracci, 54
Carina
Damm, 45
Zelg
Galesic, 45
Logan
Clark, 39
Mark
Eddiva, 38
Andy
Ogle, 35
Victoria
Leonardo, 34
Vladimir
Mineev, 34
Mirsad
Bektic, 33
Matt
Wagy, 32
Johnny
Munoz Jr., 31
Karoline
Martins Moreira, 27
FEB. 17
Ismael de
Jesus, 44
Brett
Rogers, 43
Will
Ribeiro, 41
Ben
Edwards, 40
Yoshitaka
Naito, 40
Carrington
Banks, 35
Manon
Fiorot, 34
Andre
Muniz, 34
Anatoly
Tokov, 34
Gregory
Rodrigues, 32
Juancamilo
Ronderos, 29
Rickson
Thai Zenidim Bueno, 25
FEB. 18
Justin
McCully, 48
Ross
Pointon, 46
Jimi
Manuwa, 44
Marvin
Blumer, 42
Melvin
Blumer, 42
Joseph
Duffy, 36
Fabiano
Silva da Conceicao, 36
Stefan
Struve, 36
Marc-Andre
Barriault, 34
Curtis
Blaydes, 33
A.J.
Fletcher, 27
Guilherme
Uriel, 27
FEB. 19
Duke
Roufus, 54
Chad
Leonhardt, 44
Ben
Alloway, 43
Liz
Carmouche, 40
Ednaldo
Oliveira, 40
Jarred
Mercado, 39
Peter
Queally, 35
Desiree
Yanez, 34
Nam Jin
Jo, 33
Josiel
Silva, 33
Emilee
King, 31
Szymon
Karolczyk, 24
FEB. 20
Antonio Inoki,
1943-2022
Phillip
Miller, 45
Rousimar
Palhares, 44
Cody
Donovan, 43
Tim
Means, 40
Derek
Anderson, 34
Ottman
Azaitar, 34
Damian
Stasiak, 34
Shanna
Young, 33
Natan
Schulte, 32
Grant
Dawson, 30
Ravena
Oliveira, 27
FEB. 21
Chris
Kelades, 43
Paul
Daley, 41
Kerry
Hughes, 39
Shintaro
Ishiwatari, 39
Alex
Oliveira, 36
Roman
Salazar, 36
Brian
Ortega, 33
Brett
Johns, 32
Matt
Sayles, 30
Tabatha
Ricci, 29
Dakota
Zimmerman, 28
Adam
Masaev, 24
FEB. 22
Wallid
Ismail, 56
Gregor
Herb, 46
Edgar
Garcia40
Ryan
Hall, 39
Jena
Bishop, 38
Colby
Covington, 36
Kuat
Khamitov, 36
Jack
Grant, 32
Rob
Wilkinson, 32
John
Allan, 31
Ludovit
Klein, 29
Michal
Oleksiejczuk, 29
FEB. 23
Ruan
Potts, 46
Nick
Cottone, 44
Gina
Begley, 43
Mike
Estus, 41
Robert
Washington, 41
James
Vick, 37
Jacob
Silva, 36
Olivier
Aubin-Mercier, 35
Mike
Hofer, 34
Edson
Gomez, 33
Al
Matavao, 30
Ramzan
Suleymanov, 29
FEB. 24
Andre
Roberts, 59
Bas
Rutten, 59
Jon
Fitch, 46
Vitor
Ribeiro, 45
Nick
Burgos, 44
Shinsuke
Nakamura, 44
Fernando
Bruno, 42
Jan
Blachowicz, 41
Maiju
Suotama, 38
Jordan
Kaaze, 33
Gadzhi
Omargadzhiev, 31
Mando
Gutierrez, 27
FEB. 25
Michael
Quintero, 48
Marcos
Rodrigues dos Santos, 48
Kelly
Kobold-Schmitz, 41
Ron
Stallings, 41
Jacob
McClintock, 36
Zac
Pauga, 36
Cesar
Gonzalez, 35
Meas
Meu, 34
Rachael
Ostovich, 33
Alfie
Davis, 32
Hisham
Hiba, 32
Anthony
Romero, 27
FEB. 26
Ricardo
Morais, 57
John
Lober, 56
Tomar
Washington, 46
Gustavo
Henrique Kuhn, 44
Satoshi
Watanabe, 42
T.J.
Grant, 40
Ken
Hasegawa, 37
Kyle
Frost, 36
Jeff
Lentz, 35
Reant
Febriza Rainir, 35
Gokhan
Saricam, 33
Louis Lee
Scott, 24
FEB. 27
Rob
Lisita, 41
Michael
Knaap, 40
Antonio
Castillo Jr., 37
Misha
Cirkunov, 37
Thibault
Gouti, 37
Alex
Munoz, 34
Jun
Yong Park, 33
Sean
Strickland, 33
Kyle
Daukaus, 31
Laureano
Staropoli, 31
Aga
Niedzwiedz, 29
Luke
Trainer, 28
FEB. 28
Jorge
Rivera, 52
Khomkrit
Niimi, 51
Mitch
Chilson, 46
Michael
Bisping, 45
Adam
Antolin, 42
Vinicius
Moreira, 35
Jarod
Trice, 35
Glaico
Franca, 33
Eduarda
Moura, 30
Alesha
Zappitella, 29
Bin
Xie, 26
Yazmin
Jauregui, 25
FEB. 29
Jim
Yorke, 48
Francimar
Barroso, 44
Patrick
Cote, 44
Masayoshi
Kato, 40
Edson
Pereira, 40
Brandon
Bettencourt, 36
Dashawn
Boatwright, 36
Clay
Dixon, 36
Masaki
Nishi, 32
David
Putvin, 32
Enzo
Perez, 28
Tiziano
Ferranti, 24