Ferguson Details Wrestling Background Ahead of RAF 10 Co-Main Event vs. Dominant Tsarukyan

Tony Ferguson faces Arman Tsarukyan in the co-main event of Real American Freestyle 10 this Saturday at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. The former interim lightweight champion used the buildup to describe a wrestling background that includes a freestyle state championship and a runner-up finish at freestyle nationals in Syracuse.

Ferguson also cited recruitment interest from Stanford and The Citadel. He said the sport entered his life after a childhood move from Oxnard, California, to Michigan, where his stepfather wanted him to experience outdoor living and hunting. Ferguson initially wanted to train in boxing and taekwondo after watching Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee movies.

"Little did I know that wrestling was just one of those sports that saved my life," he said. He recalled getting thrown around in his first wrestling room session and vowing never to let that happen again. Years later, teammate Dustin Dean called and brought him to the Grand Valley State wrestling room.

Ferguson participated in live rounds, sprints, and drills until he threw up. Coach Dave Mills gave him a promissory note to cover tuition when money ran short. Ferguson captained the Grand Valley State wrestling team, worked full-time, attended school full-time, and won a national title.

He paid Mills back in full around 2015 or 2016 with a smiley face and a thank-you note on the final check. Mills will corner Ferguson on Saturday. Tsarukyan has dominated every opponent in RAF competition so far.

Ferguson dismissed concerns about the stylistic matchup. "When I play the game like that, I'm better at chess than Bobby Fischer," he said. " The RAF 10 card streams live Saturday night from St. Louis.