Boxing Officials Send Strong Message to Referee After Tony Ferguson vs. Salt Papi Controversial Stoppage

Tony Ferguson and Nathaniel Bustamante locking horns in Misfits Boxing X Series 22 was an expected thriller for Saturday. On one hand, the 41-year-old El Cucuy was making his boxing debut after an eight-fight losing streak in UFC. On the other hand was the 31-year-old MF mainstay Salt Papi known for his sharp combos. Entering the fight, many believed Ferguson’s +340 was an underdog against Bustamante’s -500 winning favoritism. Yet, before the fight, he claimed, “In terms of boxing, I think Salt has got a puncher’s chance, for sure.” As it turned out, Ferguson did have the last laugh.

Despite Salt Papi controlling the action from the beginning, Tony Ferguson showed some flashes in the early rounds. Then came the turning point in round three. Out of nowhere, El Cucuy unleashed a barrage of punches, driving Papi onto the ropes. Although the 31-year-old looked pressured, he never appeared out of the fight. Still, the referee suddenly jumped in and waved it off. With that, Ferguson became the interim Misfits middleweight champion. The sudden stoppage caught everyone off guard. And now, other officials from the fight are sharing their takes.

IFN Boxing recently tweeted, “‼️ Referee Jack Goodwin reveals that some officials considered Tony Ferguson’s TKO against Salt Papi to be a bit premature too 👀” The attached image was a screenshot where Referee Jack Goodwin—who also officiated at Misfits 22 in Manchester’s AO Arena—responded to a fan comment and admitted, “Some of the other officials thought it was a bit premature too!!”

Salt Papi, too, Papi immediately pushed back on the decision. He exclaimed, “I think I did well. I think it was the ref. I felt like it was an early stoppage. I didn’t get hurt. Not even a scratch on my face. That’s not more beating than Ferrari and Slim and the others… [That referee] would have stopped me in the first round.”

Misfits officials, after the fight, also believed that a better reffed fight probably should have seen Salt Papi get a standing eight count. However, Ferguson did not agree. Breaking silence on the controversial call, he said, “We had two more rounds to put them away, so it would have come either way. As soon as I started putting more pressure on him, he was starting to make more mistakes and not punching back. And I knew that I was gonna put more pressure on him. We were gonna get that victory either way.”

Despite the controversy, Ferguson behaved like his victory wasn’t down to luck but to his skills and preparation. Overcome with emotion, he dropped to his knees after the fight. “Everybody that bet against me, I guess they’re kicking their a— right now,” he said. “Being real, being an underdog, coming through here, being super nervous at the beginning of camp, and then just trusting the process with my coaches and my cornermen. We came out of here, we did what we wanted to do. And it was a good reminder of who I am—I’m a fighter.”

The defeat brings Papi’s record to 6-3, while Ferguson celebrated his win in his boxing debut. It appears Tony Ferguson finally managed to end his losing streak – not necessarily because he proved to be the better fighter, but due to a questionable stoppage. Now, Ferguson is fielding multiple offers from all sides. Influencer boxer Slim Albaher and MMA fighter Dillon Danis, who defeated Warren Spencer on the same card, are both pushing to face him next. The real question now is: should Ferguson continue fighting, or was this more of an exception than a comeback?