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#1. Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje (Interim Lightweight Championship)
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the main event of the evening," exclaimed Bruce Buffer. We certainly missed this!
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Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje had the potential to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest five-round wars of all time. Did it live up to all the hype? Let's find out.
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Round 1: The lightweights circled the Octagon and scouted each other in the early goings of the fight.
Ferguson looked for an opening and both men attacked at the same time that led to a few clashes. Gaethje swung for the bleachers but missed as Ferguson ducked.
Tony followed it up with a high kick and a jab. Gathje connected with an inside leg kick. They both went for a wild shot and missed. That would have been huge if either one of them had landed. Gaethje connected with a right followed by a left hook. Ferguson went for the high kick again. Gaethje looked sharp as he blocked an uppercut and landed a quick right.
He was fast and landing clean. Gaethje landed two nasty left hooks. Ferguson got poked in the eye at the end of the round and he wasn't happy about it.
10-9 Gaethje
Round 2: Both fighters landed at the start of the round. Gaethje landed with another left hook, which was easily his most potent weapon. Gaethje avoided a few shots and landed another left hook. Ferguson has the strongest chin in the game and this was a big example of it.
Gaethje kept landing cleanly and Ferguson waited for his opportunity to get back. Gaethje went for looping right followed by a left. Gaethje kept putting in the work and Ferguson just kept eating them. How did he even stay up?
Gaethje was putting in a lot of power behind the punches and he was beginning to miss. Ferguson landed a 1-2 and Gaethje responded with fire. Ferguson rocked Gaethje with a huge uppercut. Gaethje wobbled and probably got saved by the buzzer.
10-9 Gaethje
Round 3: Gaethje was told by his corner to take some steam off his shots to conserve energy. Ferguson began to pick up the pace and he wasn't even breaking a sweat.
Ferguson suffered a big swelling under his right eye and that could have posed problems for him. Gaethje stunned Tony with another clean right. Tony fought back with a shot but Gaethje continued to connect with clean shots.
Gaethje timed two power shots and Tony called for more. What a freak of nature! Tony almost swept Gaethje off his feet with an insane leg sweep. That was straight out of Mortal Kombat!
The round ended with Tony landing a body shot.
10-9 Gaethje
Round 4: Ferguson was down three rounds and he needed to pile up the pressure in the championship rounds. Eddie Bravo called for an Imanari roll and a potential submission finish.
Gathje kept going and going and going and Ferguson kept eating all the punches. That was the story of the fight and it seemed like Ferguson was done. The round ended with Gathje showboating and feeling comfortable about his prospect in the fight.
10-9 Gaethje
Round 5: Gathje hurt Ferguson again with an overhand right. Justin connected with another clean combo while also attacking the legs.
Ferguson was getting dominated by the best version of Gaethje we'd seen thus far in the UFC. Gathje popped a jab and Ferguson wobbled through it.
Ferguson finally went for Imanari roll but it was a little too late and Gathje saw it coming from a mile away. Tony continued to get punished but he somehow stood on his feet. Inhuman endurance!
However, even Ferguson was just a human being after all and Herb Dean stopped the fight as Ferguson's feet had given up and he was just wobbling around the Octagon taking devastating punishment.
Result: Justin Gaethje def. Tony Ferguson via TKO (referee stoppage) (3:39, Round 5)
Take a bow, Justin Gaethje! The Highlight humbled El Cucuy with a dominant display of some clean and powerful boxing. It was a one-sided affair that no one expected to see.
Justin Gaethje is your interim Lightweight Champion but he wants the real belt, he wants Khabib Nurmagomedov!
We just can't wait for that to happen!
