Ferguson TKOs Salt Papi in 3rd round of boxing debut

"El Cucuy" is back.

Former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson was victorious in his boxing debut, earning a TKO win over Salt Papi at Misfits Boxing 22 on Saturday in Manchester, England.

The finish, which came at the 2:43 mark of the third round, was Ferguson's first combat sports win in over six years.

Ferguson, 41, got his hand raised for the first time since June 2019 when he defeated Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone via TKO at UFC 238. He parted ways with the UFC earlier this year on the heels of a historic eight-fight losing streak.

Ferguson had a slow start to his boxing debut. Salt Papi controlled the action early, landing a few left hooks and backing Ferguson up with a solid punch. However, Ferguson turned his offense up a notch in the second round and then took over in the third. He put pressure on Salt Papi and landed punches against the ropes. With just seconds left in the round, Ferguson began teeing off with heavy shots to force a referee stoppage.

After the win, Ferguson expressed interest in facing MMA star Dillon Danis, who earned a 15-second submission victory over Warren Spencer earlier on Saturday's card.

Ferguson was one of MMA's top fighters in his prime. His 12-fight winning streak spanning 2013-19 is tied for the second longest in UFC lightweight history. The California native held the promotion's interim 155-pound title from 2017-18 and beat the likes of Anthony Pettis, Rafael dos Anjos, and Edson Barboza.

Salt Papi, a 31-year-old boxing influencer, fell to 4-3 in the Misfits ring.