Tony Ferguson Defends Misfits Boxing Title Against Kenzo Biyong
“El Cucuy” isn’t done haunting combat sports just yet.
Tony Ferguson, the former UFC interim Lightweight champion whose wild, unorthodox style turned him into a cult figure, is set to defend his Misfits Middleweight boxing title against former soccer defender Kenzo Biyong on Sept. 26, 2026, at the James L. Knight Center in Miami, Florida. The five-round bout will stream live on DAZN, another curious chapter in the ever-stranger world of crossover fighting.
Ferguson’s unlikely second act
A year ago, Ferguson looked finished. He left the UFC on the back of an eight-fight losing streak, a brutal run that appeared to close the book on a once-terrifying contender. Instead, it opened another one.
In August 2025, nearly six years removed from his last victory in any combat sport, Ferguson walked into Misfits Boxing and stopped influencer Salt Papi in the third round of his debut. It wasn’t vintage “El Cucuy,” but it was enough: pressure, awkward angles, and the kind of relentlessness that made his name in MMA.
Four months later, he did more than prove it wasn’t a one-off. Ferguson dropped Warren Spencer and outworked him over the distance, earning a unanimous decision and the vacant Misfits Middleweight title. At 42, he suddenly stood as an undefeated 2-0 boxer, carrying a belt in a promotion built on spectacle and surprise.
This defense against Biyong will be his first attempt to hold on to that crown.
The road hasn’t been smooth in every direction. In June, Ferguson stepped onto the wrestling mat at Real American Freestyle (RAF) 10 and ran straight into elite opposition, suffering a 10-0 technical-fall loss to UFC Lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan. It was a harsh reminder of the level he once occupied. It also underlined why this late-career boxing pivot makes sense: fewer weapons to worry about, more room to lean on experience and grit.
From the back line to the boxing ring
If Ferguson’s route to Misfits feels unconventional, Biyong’s is downright surreal.
The 28-year-old Dutch athlete built his early sporting life in football, playing as a defender across several European youth and developmental setups before walking away from the game. Instead of fading from view, he pivoted into combat sports, first through wrestling and submission grappling.
That path led him into the grappling wing of the UFC ecosystem. In April, Biyong made his UFC BJJ debut at UFC BJJ 7, where Raphael Ferreira caught him in the first round with a rear-naked choke. A harsh initiation, but one that at least planted his name on the wider combat map.
Now he’s skipping ahead again, straight into a boxing debut against a former UFC champion turned Misfits titleholder. No tune-up, no soft landing. Just a jump into the deep end against a man who has spent a career thriving in chaos.
A card built on crossover chaos
Ferguson vs. Biyong is just one piece of a stacked, eccentric Sept. 26 card.
Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo will glove up to face Deen the Great in another crossover clash that would have sounded impossible a few years ago. On the heavyweight side, Misfits champion Chase DeMoor is set to defend his title against Plinio Cruz, best known as Alex Pereira’s head coach, now stepping into the spotlight himself.
It’s a lineup that leans into the Misfits formula: recognizable names, unlikely matchups, and the constant sense that anything could happen once the bell rings.
For Ferguson, though, this isn’t just spectacle. It’s a chance to keep rewriting the final chapters of a career that once looked destined to end in silence. For Biyong, it’s the start of a story in a new sport, against a man who refuses to fade quietly.
On a Miami night built for chaos, one of them will leave with a belt—and the other with a brutal lesson in what this new era of combat really demands.
