Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson to Fight at UFC 274

Overtime Heroics Editorial

565 days ago

After months of back-and-forth on Twitter, Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson will finally happen.

First announced by Sports Illustrated, ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler vs. ‘El Cucuy’ will go down at UFC 274. Scheduled to take place at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ, UFC 274 will be headlined by a lightweight championship bout between reigning champion Charles Oliveira and #1 ranked contender, Justin Gaethje.

Breaking: UFC 274 now includes a lightweight bout between Tony Ferguson and Michael Chandler, per @JustinBarrasso 👊 pic.twitter.com/NYfHrJizUP

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) March 9, 2022

Michael Chandler (22-7-0, 1-2-0 UFC) hasn’t won a bout under the UFC banner since his debut in January 2021 against Dan Hooker. Following his first round finish of Hooker at UFC 257, Chandler was thrust into the title picture and faced Charles Oliveira to crown a new lightweight champion at UFC 262. Despite dropping and nearly finishing Oliveira in the first round, Chandler would come up short in his first UFC title bid, getting caught with a left hook from Oliveira just 19 seconds into the second round.

The former Bellator champion would next face Justin Gaethje in a three-round war at UFC 268 in November. Chandler lost the bout via unanimous decision. Despite the back-to-back losses, his high octane style has won over the UFC fans. Chandler looks to get back into the win column at UFC 274 against a man who hasn’t seen his hand raised since 2019.

Tony Ferguson (25-6-0, 15-4-0 UFC) is on a bit of a skid lately, losing his last three bouts to Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush. While some say Ferguson’s best days are behind him, others argue that Ferguson has been fighting only the best in the division and believe ‘El Cucuy’ has plenty of gas left in the tank.

First debuting on season thirteen of The Ultimate Fighter, Ferguson won the competition winning four straight bouts via knockout. Ferguson would experience his first setback against Michael Johnson in May 2012, but would not lose again for seven years, defeating notable opponents such as Edson Barboza, Rafael dos Anjos, Kevin Lee, Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone.

With both fighters showing a willingness to stand and bang, there is no doubt that Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson will bring the fireworks in May.

Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson Added To Stacked Lineup

UFC 274 will return to the Grand Canyon state for the first time since June 2021. No broadcast team has been announced for the event. Bouts currently scheduled include: