Tony Ferguson Defends Misfits Title Against Kenzo Biyong
Tony Ferguson’s wild career takes another turn. “El Cucuy” is heading back to the ring, back to Misfits, and this time he’s coming as the hunted, not the hunter.
On September 26, 2026, inside the James L. Knight Center in Miami, the 42-year-old former UFC interim Lightweight champion will defend his Misfits Middleweight title against a complete boxing unknown: Dutch newcomer Kenzo Biyong, a former soccer defender who has wandered through several combat sports on his way to this unlikely shot. The five-round bout will stream live on DAZN.
From eight straight losses to a Misfits belt
Not long ago, Ferguson looked finished. He left the UFC carrying the weight of an eight-fight losing streak, a brutal run that threatened to overshadow the chaos and brilliance of his prime. Then Misfits came calling, and the story flipped.
In August 2025, Ferguson snapped nearly six years without a win by stopping influencer star Salt Papi in the third round of his Misfits debut. It wasn’t vintage UFC Ferguson, but it was enough: pressure, awkward angles, and the kind of mean finishing instinct that made his name.
Four months later, he did it again. This time against Warren Spencer, whom he dropped and outworked over five rounds to claim the vacant Misfits Middleweight championship by unanimous decision. Two fights, two wins, one belt. In the crossover circus, Ferguson suddenly looked reborn.
Now comes his first title defense. Different opponent, different rule set from his most recent outing, same high-wire act.
A champion coming off a wrestling shutout
Ferguson’s last competitive appearance didn’t involve gloves at all. In June, he stepped onto the wrestling mat at Real American Freestyle (RAF) 10 and ran into elite UFC Lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan. The result was harsh: a 10-0 technical-fall loss.
That kind of scoreline would crush some fighters’ confidence. For Ferguson, it fits the pattern of a career built on taking the hardest possible route. He has always chased chaos, whether it’s five-round wars in the Octagon, influencer boxing in Misfits, or freestyle wrestling against a world-class contender.
On September 26, he returns to the one arena that has recently given him something he hadn’t felt in years: momentum.
Kenzo Biyong: from back line to boxing ring
Across from him will be Kenzo Biyong, 28, a Dutch athlete with a résumé that looks like it was stitched together from three different careers.
He started in football, playing as a defender across various European youth and developmental setups before walking away from the game. From there, he turned to the mats, moving into wrestling and submission grappling, a stark shift from life on the back line.
This past April, Biyong stepped into the world of UFC BJJ at UFC BJJ 7. It ended quickly. Raphael Ferreira took his back and finished him with a rear-naked choke in the first round. Now Biyong is jumping again, this time into pure boxing, with his professional debut coming against a former UFC star who has already logged two Misfits wins and holds the division’s belt.
It’s a gamble. It’s also exactly the kind of matchup Misfits thrives on.
Misfits builds a wild Miami card
Ferguson vs. Biyong is only one piece of a stacked and deeply unconventional September 26 card.
Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo will glove up to box Deen the Great, a collision between Olympic gold and influencer fame that could steal the show on name value alone. Misfits Heavyweight champion Chase DeMoor is also set to defend his title against Plinio Cruz, better known to MMA fans as Alex Pereira’s head coach.
Put it together and Miami gets a night that looks nothing like a traditional boxing bill: ex-UFC champions, YouTube stars, grapplers, and coaches all thrown into the same ringed cauldron.
At the center of it all, Tony Ferguson walks in as a defending champion, not a desperate veteran clinging to relevance. The losing streak is in the rear-view mirror, the Misfits belt around his waist, and a 28-year-old wildcard trying to rip it away in his very first boxing fight.
For a man who has always thrived on chaos, it feels like the only way this chapter could be written.
