The Next Man Up: Tony Ferguson

The Fight to Make

With the conclusion of UFC 242, the lightweight division still remains held by Nurmagomedov. However there is one man who many believe has the best chance to end Khabib’s reign. The next man looking to get his hands on the champion is Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson.

Tony Ferguson is one of the most respected in the sport of MMA today. He has overcome his adversity dealing with injuries and has made his presence known once again. With the defeat of Porier, Dana has stated that Ferguson is indeed the next to challenge the dominant lightweight. Let’s look at how Tony Ferguson set himself up for a chance to make history.

Performances you can’t deny

After overcoming a freak knee injury that would keep Ferguson out of UFC 223, he would later make his return fighting in UFC 229. On October 6th, 2018, Tony Ferguson headlined as the co main event fighting against Anthony Pettis. Multiple critics had said that Tony was out of his mind coming into this fight on a fragile knee. However, Ferguson went on to win by way of unanimous decision to reinstate himself for title contention.

Furthermore, Tony faced Donald Cerrone in UFC 238 on June 8th of this year. In a fan favorite matchup, “El Cucuy” sent “Cowboy” home by way of TKO in two rounds. This was a bout that collected a massive audience worldwide, and certainly put Ferguson as the number one contender.

Breaking Down the Potential Matchup

I ultimately love how Ferguson has worked his way up the ladder and has overcome his injury. He deserves this long awaited title shot, and would definitely make the most of it. However, I still believe that Khabib would win this fight. Here is how I believe it will go down.

Tony Ferguson has been known to bring constant pressure upon every single opponent he has faced. It will be no different with Khabib. The best chance that Tony has is to use his elusiveness and try to stuff takedowns. Therefore I predict a similar fight relating to UFC 229, which showcased Conor McGregor. 

If, and that’s a huge if, Ferguson can keep the fight standing up and deliver enough damage, Tony will be able to win the fight. He has nine wins over his career via submission, however I don’t see him being able to match, much less overtake, Khabib in that department. Keep the fight standing and look to maximize the damage Nurmagomedov takes, which will weaken his overall performance.

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