Ferguson rallies from knockdown to retain Misfits title as Cejudo wins boxing debut

Tony Ferguson retained his Misfits middleweight championship with a second-round technical knockout of Mahmoud Sebie at the 42-second mark on September 26 in Miami, recovering from an early knockdown to stop his opponent with a flurry of punches. On the same card, former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo earned a split-decision win over Javon Walton in his professional boxing debut.

Ferguson’s night was the more dramatic of the two. Sebie dropped the former interim UFC champion early in the second round, but Ferguson shook off the knockdown and responded with a sustained barrage that forced the referee to wave off the contest. The victory moves Ferguson to 3-0 under the Misfits banner.

Cejudo’s debut went the full four rounds, with the judges scoring it 39-37, 37-39 and 39-37 in his favour. The former flyweight and bantamweight UFC titleholder took time to find his rhythm but grew into the fight and did enough to edge Walton on the cards.

Both fighters navigated late opponent changes heading into the event. Ferguson’s original opponent, Kenzo Biyong, was forced out before fight night, while Cejudo’s scheduled opponent, Nurideen Shabazz, also withdrew, requiring last-minute replacements for both bouts.