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Tony Ferguson hopes to bounce back from the first-ever knockout loss of his career by taking on UFC welterweight staple Li Jingliang at UFC 279 this Saturday. While 'El Cucuy' infamously suffered a TKO loss against former UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, he was not unconscious. Instead, Herb Dean stepped in to wave the fight off after Ferguson sustained 5 rounds of brutal punishment.
His loss to Michael Chandler at UFC 274 saw Ferguson knocked out cold for the very first time in the public eye. Concerns about Ferguson's health arose the moment his upcoming bout with Jingliang was announced, least of all due to the little time 'El Cucuy' spent recovering from the knockout loss as well as how powerful 'The Leech' is as a striker. Thus, fears that Tony Ferguson might be in store for another knockout loss as he makes his welterweight return.
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However, there was a time when such concerns were unthinkable. In fact, there was a time when Tony Ferguson seemed all but unbeatable. His 12-fight win streak in the UFC lightweight division is etched in the storybook of MMA legends. In honor of Ferguson's Hall of Fame-worthy career, this list looks at 5 of his greatest wins in the UFC.
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#5. Tony Ferguson vs. Edson Barboza, TUF 22 Finale
At one point, Edson Barboza was an undefeated Muay Thai specialist with some of the most vicious kicks in all of MMA. The Brazilian entered the UFC with a tremendous amount of hype due to his previous unbeaten run, kickboxing record, lightning-fast kicks and monstrous knockout power. Barbosa is also responsible for the first spinning wheel kick knockout ever seen in the promotion, and is one of the most explosive fighters in UFC history.
In TUF 22 Finale, the surging Tony Ferguson locked horns with Barboza in a 3-round bout. Barboza fought valiantly, intent on sparking a new win streak after besting Paul Felder earlier that year. Alas, 'El Cucuy' wasted no time in depriving him of the space needed to throw his patented kicks, overwhelming him en route to a 2nd round win via D'Arce choke.
#4. Tony Ferguson vs. Donald Cerrone, UFC 238
The new generation of fight fans will sadly remember Cerrone for his winless run from 2020 to 2022 before his much-deserved retirement from MMA. More seasoned UFC fans will always remember Donald Cerrone as an exciting finisher, known for fighting an absurd amount of times per year. At the peak of his career, 'Cowboy' was at the helm of an 8-fight win streak, which included a win over future UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez.
Back in 2019, Cerrone was on a 3-fight win streak with intentions of exceeding his career-best of 8 consecutive victories. Unfortunately, an unstoppable force stood in his path in the form of Tony Ferguson. The 1st round of their bout was somewhat competitive before Ferguson's relentless pressure began to wear on 'Cowboy'. By the 2nd round, 'El Cucuy' had assumed complete control of the fight, battering his foe from pillar to post.
In a decision that was more than questionable for an MMA veteran like Cerrone, he blew his nose, causing his swollen eye to close shut. With his vision impaired, Cerrone was spared further punishment by the cageside doctor before Ferguson was awarded the 2nd round TKO victory in what remains the last win of his career before his ongoing 4-fight losing streak.
#3. Tony Ferguson vs. Anthony Pettis, UFC 229
After his comeback win over Kevin Lee at UFC 216, Tony Ferguson earned his long-awaited matchup with Khabib Nurmagomedov for the then vacant lightweight title at UFC 223. Unfortunately, Ferguson's penchant for wearing sunglasses indoors led to him tripping over a cable during a media scrum, causing him to injure his knee ligaments. With no choice but to withdraw from the scheduled bout with Nurmagomedov, Ferguson spent nearly a year in recovery.
At UFC 223, 'El Cucuy' returned against former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. Many feared that Ferguson wouldn't be the same fighter he once was due to the severity of his knee injury, in addition to the cage-rust. While 'El Cucuy' had a slow start to the bout, he gradually took over as he stunned and cut Pettis with his patented elbows, even amidst being dropped. What began as an initial back-and-forth fight shifted in Ferguson's favor.
By the 2nd round, Pettis was overwhelmed by 'El Cucuy's' pressure and volume. Before the 3rd round, 'Showtime's' corner found that he had broken his hand. Prioritizing his fighter's health, Duke Roufus refused to send Pettis into the 3rd round. It was a successful return for Ferguson after a year-long absence due to his grievous knee injury.
#2. Tony Ferguson vs. Kevin Lee, UFC 216
Before he faced Anthony Pettis, Tony Ferguson took on Kevin Lee at UFC 216 for the UFC interim lightweight championship. At the time, Kevin Lee was a surging contender in the UFC's 155 lbs weight class. On a 5-fight win streak, 'The Motown Phenom' looked set to meet everyone's expectations of him as a future world champion. Meanwhile, Ferguson was intent on defeating Lee to earn a hotly anticipated matchup with divisional rival Khabib Nurmagomedov.
When both men crossed paths, Kevin Lee looked as good as he's ever had, with his skills and physical attributes operating in tandem. His powerful wrestling and striking initially proved successful as he consistently grounded Ferguson. Yet as the bout progressed and Lee began to get tired, 'El Cucuy's' elbows and guard play from the bottom troubled him tremendously.
'The Motown Phenom' stopped scrambling after failed takedowns and eventually surrendered to a triangle choke in the 3rd round, awarding Ferguson one of the greatest wins of his career as he captured the UFC interim lightweight championship.
#1. Tony Ferguson vs. Rafael dos Anjos, UFC Fight Night 98
In 2016, Rafael dos Anjos was one of the toughest lightweights to beat in the division. While he lost his lightweight title to former Bellator MMA title-holder Eddie Alvarez after a dominant 5-fight win streak, 'RDA' was thought by some to have merely been caught by 'The Underground King' during an ill-timed exchange. Thus, his lone loss in 2 years did little to persuade fans that the man who dominated Benson Henderson, Donald Cerrone, Nate Diaz and Anthony Pettis was on a downswing.
'RDA' was still very much at the peak of his skills and intent on recapturing the title he had lost a few months prior to his bout with Ferguson. It was by far the toughest test of 'El Cucuy's' career by that point. In the Fight of the Night, Tony Ferguson and Rafael dos Anjos threw everything in their arsenal at each other until Ferguson's volume and tenacity slowly overwhelmed the Brazilian great in one of his finest-ever performances.
