Tony Ferguson shows off horror face injuries in hospital as UFC star is seen for first time since brutal Gaethje loss

TONY FERGUSON has been seen for the first time after he was rushed to hospital following his brutal loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 249.

El Cucuy, who entered the event on a 12-fight winning streak, was left a battered mess as he forfeited the chance to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov.

SunSport previously reported that the 36-year-old was rushed to hospital following Saturday's main-event after he suffered a broken eye-socket.

Gaethje landed 143 significant strikes, 100 of those to the head, as he outfought Ferguson to win the interim lightweight crown.

The defeated star has now shown the damage to his broken orbital bone that has caused his left eye to almost completely swell shut.

He can also be seen covered in cuts and bruises, while his hospital gown is splattered with blood.

Despite that, Ferguson managed a small smile as he posed for a sweet snap with his wife Cristina to celebrate Mother's Day in the USA.

He wrote: “Love You Babygirl” Thanks For Taking Care Of Me #Happy Mother’s Day Toots."

Ferguson was flooded with messages from fans to keep his chin up and he later proved the defeat had not seen him lose his madcap sense of humour.

The MMA star uploaded a video of himself in just his hospital gown, dancing and using his IV drip stand as his partner.

He captioned the clip: “Recovery Dayze” - When You’re About To Get Discharged From The Hospital #LetMeOut."

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Ferguson was dominated in the main-event against Gaethje in Florida before eventually being stopped on his feet in the fifth and final round.

The former lightweight champion - who decided to cut weight just three weeks ago despite UFC 249 initially being cancelled - contested the stoppage, despite being staggered on several occasions.

Ferguson, who had not lost since 2012, had been set to finally fight Khabib before the coronavirus pandemic caused the undefeated Russian to pull out.