Michael Chiesa pleads with Tony Ferguson to retire for good after UFC Abu Dhabi

Michael Chiesa thinks Tony Ferguson needs to stop competing after UFC Abu Dhabi.

On the main card of UFC Abu Dhabi earlier this month, Chiesa scored a first-round submission win over Ferguson in a one-sided performance. After the fight, Ferguson half-announced his retirement but has since walked back on that, and now Chiesa is pleading with Ferguson to retire.

“I hope he just stops competing. If he wants to scratch that itch and compete, I’m sure there are a lot of jiu-jitsu promotions that would pay Tony a lot of money to grapple. I just don’t want to see him take any headshots anymore. That is speaking to a brother that I’m in the same fraternity with. Him and I both won The Ultimate Fighter, I say that with compassion. You can still make money and compete in jiu-jitsu, I just don’t think it is a financial thing for Tony, I think he is a fierce competitor, the guy like to compete, he is very athletic, I just don’t think he should take any shots anymore,” Chiesa said to BJPENN.com.

Tony Ferguson is now on an eight-fight losing streak and likely won’t fight in the UFC anymore. However, Michael Chiesa thinks the UFC should keep Ferguson around to protect him from other organizations that may look to sign him due to his name.

“It’s one of those things, I don’t have anything, let him have his moment, it’s on ABC. While some people may have thought I should have taken my time and been a bit more selfish, I disagree. I consider myself to be in the same fraternity as Tony Ferguson, we both have the common ground of being on The Ultimate Fighter and I wanted him to have his moment. I’m pretty sure that will be the last time we see him in the UFC. The only way you want to keep him in the UFC is to protect him from the people outside the UFC that are going to try and sign him,” Chiesa said.

Whether or not Ferguson will listen to Chiesa and retire is uncertain.