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Tony Ferguson’s wife files restraining order after multiple police visits to home

(Editor’s note: Story updated at 9:30 p.m. ET to include tweets from Tony Ferguson after this story was first published.)

The wife of former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson on Wednesday filed a restraining order against her husband, alleging domestic violence.

According to online records, Cristina Ferguson filed the restraining order in Orange County (Calif.) Superior Court. An ex-parte hearing took place the same day. The court’s domestic violence prevention services project has scheduled an investigation for March 22; a domestic violence hearing is scheduled for April 5.

Details were not immediately available on the specific allegations made by Cristina Ferguson. The court’s definition of a domestic violence restraining order is an “order that helps protect people from abuse or threats of abuse from someone they have a close relationship with.”

MMA Junkie obtained five police incident reports that detail several domestic disturbances at the Ferguson residence since January 2018, including three in the past month. The police reports were redacted to protect certain identifying information. Tony Ferguson wasn’t arrested or charged with a crime in any of those situations.

MMA Junkie was unable to reach Cristina Ferguson or her attorney of record for comment. Tony Ferguson’s management, Paradigm Sports, issued a statement to MMA Junkie: “This is a private family matter that is in the process of being resolved.”

The restraining order was filed less than one week after six police units were dispatched to the Ferguson home in Santa Ana. Cristina Ferguson told police she was at her parent’s house in La Mirada this past Friday when Tony Ferguson took their 2-year-old son back to their house and changed the locks on the doors, according to a police report. She said she didn’t fear for the child’s safety, and officers left after determining there was no custody order and no crime committed.

On Feb. 19, police conducted a welfare check on Tony Ferguson after he made unknown threats, and his wife and son left their house, according to a separate police report. Police spoke to an unidentified female who stated Tony Ferguson had “not slept for three days and was tearing apart the home” and “broke apart the fire place and believed someone placed a (computer) chip in his leg.” An unidentified male who’d called the police said the fighter had told him “someone was inside his walls.” Nearly two hours after the police made contact, Cristina Ferguson told police her husband’s trainer couldn’t get him to leave the house to see a doctor.

Just three days earlier, on Feb. 16, Cristina Ferguson called police from a nearby park after leaving their home. She said that, while Tony Ferguson hadn’t been violent to her or anyone else, she was concerned for her husband’s well being. In police comments on the incident report, she reported that “he kept throwing ‘holy water’ at her,” and his condition – redacted in the report – had been getting worse. He’d also refused to go to a hospital for an evaluation.

When officers showed up to the their house, one advised Tony Ferguson to see a doctor. He agreed to go and was not deemed a danger to himself or others. But Cristina Ferguson was advised to take their child to her parents’ house.

In more than one police report, officers note Ferguson is a UFC fighter and owns a taser. They are also advised to send multiple units for any calls.

In January 2018, police were called on two separate occasions for family disturbances. Ferguson’s father reported his son was “out of control” and kicked him out of the house. Tony Ferguson also reported Cristina Ferguson missing overnight.

The restraining order against Tony Ferguson comes on the heels of UFC President Dana White commenting on “personal issues” facing the fighter. When asked by a fan about Ferguson’s absence from the octagon, White said he’s “dealing with a lot of personal issues right now and can’t fight. Hopefully things turn around for him and he can get back in there.”

Ferguson, who’s won his past 11 fights, hasn’t competed since a second-round TKO win over Anthony Pettis last October at UFC 229. Ferguson was in line for a title shot against lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov. But after Nurmagomedov was issued a nine-month suspension for his role in an infamous melee at UFC 229, the promotion’s plans for the division stalled. White has since indicated Nurmagomedov might first do a rematch with Conor McGregor, who was arrested this week in Miami after allegedly smashing and stealing a fan’s phone.

Late last month, the promotion announced an interim lightweight title fight between featherweight champ Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier for April 13 at UFC 235. White later said Ferguson turned down the fight with Poirier, adding that the decision hurt his immediate title hopes.

“Tony didn’t want the fight. It’s the fight I wanted (with Poirier). We even tried to make the fight (with Holloway), and he didn’t want it,” White said. “You can’t make anybody fight.”

Ferguson has since called for fights with McGregor and Nurmagomedov, calling for the champ to defend or vacate the belt.

UPDATE: Roughly two hours after this story was published, Ferguson put out a pair of vague tweets.

“Anyone that wears sunglasses inside deserves to have that happen to them” Statement from @danawhite After my knee accident when I was wearing prescription glasses.

Thick & thin still A @ufc company Man WME-IMG 🇺🇸🏆🇲🇽

For more on the upcoming UFC schedule, visit the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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