Former UFC interim champion Tony Ferguson is returning to the ring for his first title defense under the Misfits Boxing banner. The promotion announced that “El Cucuy” will put his middleweight championship on the line against a unique challenger.
Winning the vacant championship nine months ago in December 2025, Ferguson is now set to put his belt on the line against a former professional European soccer defender who walked away from the pitch to transition into combat sports, recently building a background in competitive submission grappling and wrestling.
Tony Ferguson Faces Kenzo Biyong in Title Fight
Ferguson, 42, walked away from the UFC in 2024 carrying an eight-fight losing skid, the longest in the promotion’s history. He found a second opportunity in the boxing ring after defeating influencer Salt Papi via a third-round TKO during his Misfits debut in August 2025, snapping a six-year winless run.
Four months later, he defeated Warren Spencer to win a unanimous decision and capture the undisputed middleweight title. That win puts him at 2-0 as a boxer heading into his matchup with Kenzo Biyong.
Misfits announced that the middleweight champion will defend his belt against Biyong on September 26 at the James L. Knight Center in Miami, with the five-round bout streaming live on DAZN.
On X, the promotion wrote, “El Cucuy returns,” building fan excitement for the card. The news came weeks after a major personal tragedy for Ferguson, whose mother Vera passed away in late August.
El Cucuy returns 👀
MF Middleweight champion Tony Ferguson returns to face Kenzo Biyong in Miami, Sep 26 🇺🇸🔥
Live on @daznboxing | Tickets on sale Now ➡️ https://t.co/Qdy674s5vW pic.twitter.com/giO51jCuSu
— Misfits Boxing (@MisfitsBoxing) September 5, 2026
Ferguson’s most recent competitive outing, however, came on the wrestling mat, where he dropped a lopsided 10-0 technical-fall decision to UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan at Real American Freestyle 10 in June. The Biyong fight marks his return strictly to boxing.
The fight lands on a stacked card headlined by Henry Cejudo’s boxing debut against Deen the Great. The event also features a heavyweight bout between Chase DeMoor and Alex Pereira’s longtime coach Plinio Cruz, who is making his professional boxing debut
Kenzo Biyong Brings Unusual Resume to Boxing Debut
Biyong, 28, is a Dutch athlete who spent his early career as a defender in European youth and developmental soccer setups before transitioning to combat sports. He built a wrestling background strong enough to make him a Dutch national champion, then moved into submission grappling and signed with UFC BJJ.
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However, his UFC BJJ debut in April didn’t go his way, resulting in a first-round submission loss to Raphael Ferreira via a rear-naked choke. September 26 will be Biyong’s pro debut with boxing gloves on, facing a former UFC interim lightweight champion who has extensive experience in both MMA and boxing.
The grappling pedigree can help Biyong against Ferguson early, but stepping into a five-round title fight with zero prior boxing experience leaves him facing massive pressure in Miami.
