I guess former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson finally realized that diving through lasers and getting kicked in the ribs (unprotected) was great for social media “likes,” but not-so-great for real-world combat, which may explain why “El Cucuy” is getting some work in with Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque.

Desperate times (i.e. losing four straight fights) call for desperate measures.

With Ferguson planning a late 2022 return, it didn’t take long for fellow UFC lightweight Dan Hooker — who is coming off back-to-back losses and dropped four of his last five — to call for a potential “big fight” against “El Cucuy.”

“Only one can continue, only one can keep going forward,” Hooker told Submission Radio. “But that’s a big fight, Tony’s a big fight. A win for either one of us puts the other one right back in the mix, right? And that’s where you want to be.”

Ferguson (25-7) and Hooker (21-12) are separated by just two spots in the “official” UFC rankings. “El Cucuy” is currently sitting in the No. 11 spot while “The Hangman” is holding on to No. 13. Sounds like the right fight to make (on paper), assuming all parties agree.

Time will tell.