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UFC veteran Tony Ferguson arrested on suspicion of DUI in Hollywood

Tony Ferguson throws a punch during a UFC fight.
Tony Ferguson punches Donald Cerrone in 2019 during their lightweight mixed martial arts bout at UFC 238 in Chicago.
(Kamil Krzaczynski / Associated Press)
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UFC veteran Tony Ferguson was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence early Sunday after his truck struck other vehicles and rolled over in Hollywood, police said.

Ferguson, a former interim lightweight champion for the Ultimate Fighting Champtionship, was driving south on Wilcox Avenue around 1:47 a.m. when his Silverado hit at least two other vehicles and flipped over near Sunset Boulevard, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

Ferguson had passengers with him, but no injuries were reported, LAPD Officer Norma Eisenman said.

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She said Ferguson allegedly refused to take a breathalyzer test at the scene and was later arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.

The UFC fighter spent part of his childhood in Oxnard before moving to Michigan, where he worked with his stepfather renovating homes for the family’s contractor business. An all-around athlete, Ferguson was an elite high school wrestler and also played baseball and football. He returned to Southern California in 2008 to train in martial arts.

He has said those life experiences contributed to his success as a fighter.

“You know what it was that I took from all that? Not quitting,” Ferguson told the Los Angeles Times in 2017. “I learned how to finesse. Finesse is catching the baseball on the edge of your glove when you’re turning two, making the one-handed grabs and shoestring tackles by running across the field in football. And finesse is what I bring to fighting.”

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