The former UFC interim lightweight champion’s wife, Christina, recently filed a restraining order against him due to due a string of unusual and disturbing behavior.
Incident reports describing Ferguson’s actions included mention of him and his wife getting into arguments, Ferguson's father asking him to leave his house, Ferguson staying up for days at a time and smashing their fireplace, Ferguson claiming there was a microchip implanted in his leg and a man living in his walls, and splashing his wife with "holy water.”
The reports also state that Ferguson was not violent at any point during the incidents, nor was his wife concerned for her or their child’s safety. However, the restraining order was filed after Ferguson refused to seek treatment.
In the meantime, when Ferguson learned that the UFC had booked Max Holloway to face Dustin Poirier for the interim lightweight crown in Atlanta on April 13, he contacted Dana White. The UFC president recounted the interaction in an interview with Yahoo! Sports.
“Tony had hit me up after the Max Holloway fight went to [Dustin] Poirier and was saying, ‘What’s next for me?’” White said. “I said, ‘Well, we can get you a fight with Al Iaquinta.’ Reached out to Al, Al was interested in the fight. But the reality is that right now Tony has a lot of personal problems that he needs to deal with. I don’t think that putting him in a fight right now would be in his best interest. He needs to handle his personal stuff first.”
Instead, the promotion is targeting a fight between Iaquinta and Donald Cerrone to headline UFC Ottawa on May 4.
Over the weekend, Ferguson released a statement that he was in “great spirits” and that the UFC and his management are “helping me find the help we need.” The 34-year-old has won his last 11 fights in the UFC.