Tony Ferguson walked into Misfits Boxing 22 carrying the weight of years of devastating defeats and the doubts that accompanied them. Many fans expected another stumble. Instead, ‘El Cucuy’ left with more than just a win over Salt Papi; he rediscovered a part of himself. And now the question remains: can Ferguson channel the kind of mindset Joe Rogan often preaches: seeing combat not just as survival, but as a test of creativity under pressure?

That’s why Mike Perry was quick to praise him on the Overdogs Podcast. He noticed Ferguson finally broke through with aggression, which was familiar. “Tony opened up one combination and was just kind of letting them hands fly, and he was touching him up,” Perry said. It wasn’t prime ‘El Cucuy,’ but it was enough to put him back in the winner’s circle.

The bare-knuckle fighter added that the win is significant beyond the night itself: “You take your wins. Stay active, keep fighting, keep getting those lessons in the ring.” In other words, it’s about momentum, something Tony Ferguson hasn’t had in years. Still, Mike Perry’s focus wasn’t just on what happened Saturday.

He shifted the conversation on the podcast to Joe Rogan’s fighting philosophy, presenting it as a blueprint for the UFC legend’s next move. “I was watching some Joe Rogan stuff today… he was talking about what he always thought of mixed martial arts,” Perry explained. To him, the UFC commentator’s words truly struck a chord: “It’s like advanced problem solving with dire physical consequences.”

Perry admitted he found that outlook “sick,” emphasizing that Joe Rogan‘s approach has been teaching fighters for years. For ‘El Cucuy,’ that means learning to adapt rather than just survive. Tony Ferguson’s style is what makes Rogan’s point of view so relevant. He was chaos personified at his finest, throwing spinning elbows, stalking opponents from all angles, and finding solutions when everything seemed to be falling apart.

His decline came when those solutions stopped clicking, when his improvisation turned into reckless exposure. Mike Perry‘s reminder is timely: Joe Rogan’s insight hints that boxing could become Ferguson’s next “problem set,” forcing him to fine-tune his creativity in a smaller sandbox.

If he can carry that mindset, the wins won’t just be about nostalgia; they’ll represent growth. Of course, it all depends on whether Ferguson listens. He’s notorious for challenging traditional wisdom, sometimes to his own harm. However, his fans would be hoping he does follow the advice, especially after he brought a major change in life in order to finally get back on his winning ways.

Tony Ferguson’s key to winning is truly unexpected

That’s the twist with Tony Ferguson. After years of trying to fight his way out of the darkness, it wasn’t a radical training change or a new game plan that broke the cycle. It was something considerably more personal: he needed to rediscover joy. Despite all the talk about strategy and legacy, what kept him going was the decision to step back, reset, and eventually find happiness again.

Without that, even the sharpest tools in Rogan’s playbook wouldn’t have mattered. When Ferguson explained it, the analogy was pure Tony, comparing burnout to playing the same video game until it loses all significance. ‘El Cucuy’ stated that he continued to fight without passion, forcing things into order when nothing made sense.

That absence of joy weighed more heavily than any losing streak. “I was just taking these fights; I wasn’t enjoying myself,” he admitted, adding that what he really needed was time – a break to clear his mind and recall why he started in the first place. It’s an unusual but appropriate key for a fighter known for defying expectations.

Instead of perfecting his skill or chasing a flawless camp, Tony Ferguson’s true achievement came from taking a break long enough to want it again. That revitalized sense of purpose elevated Misfits Boxing to more than just another paycheck; it became a canvas for rediscovery. And if he can keep that spark going, Joe Rogan’s idea of “problem solving with dire consequences” might finally have the fuel it needs to work its magic on Ferguson’s next chapter.