The End of a Bogeyman?
By Eddie Sancez
UFC 256 came and went and turned out to be an amazing card despite losing three previous headline-fights due to COVID and injuries.
The headliner, Figueiredo-Moreno was the perfect fight to represent the Flyweight division in 2020. This fight came together three weeks after Deiveison last defended his belt and although he was relatively unsuccessful with this defense, due to a majority draw, the fans and MMA community were treated to a Fight of the Year Contender.
What makes this so perfect is that just a year earlier there were legitimate questions about the credibility of this division in the UFC. It’s safe to say those questions are answered and the division is as strong as ever.
Just look at these highlights and tell me you aren’t ready for that rematch!
As amazing as this headliner was, this is not the true topic of discussion for the majority of MMA fans. That topic of course is the questionable future of Tony Ferguson.
Did we just witness another Tyron Woodley fall, or does he just need to make some adjustments to get back on track? Woodley has essentially lost the last fifteen rounds he has competed in across three bouts. Ferguson sits at eight consecutive rounds across two bouts, but this also includes a TKO loss.
If we are being fair, we must also point out that prior to these two losses he was on a twelve fight winning streak. One major difference is that Ferguson never got that championship bout he craved. He reached interim status, but was never challenged by the true pinnacles of the division (with all due respect to Gaethje and Oliveira, the number one and four contenders in the lightweight division).
Although it is not his fault that Khabib-Ferguson got derailed on five separate occasions, he unfortunately can not claim that he lost his championship after a lengthy defense, such as Woodley could point to.
This is a shame because Ferguson turns 37 in February and the cloudiness surrounding his mental health and seemingly noticeable physical decline are likely to drop him from future title consideration.
This is not to put a time and date on his body as a coroner would do, there are still some intriguing matchups that can keep him afloat while the dust settles with the current contenders.
For what it’s worth, the UFC still has Ferguson ranked above McGregor in the Lightweight division, although the same is not true with the P4P list. While this is laughable considering what we have seen from Ferguson of late, this will likely change fairly soon following the McGregor-Poirier rematch in January.
If Tony still has aspirations of reaching the top of the Lightweight division, I believe the best opportunities for his next bout are the loser of McGregor-Poirier, or Rafael Dos Anjos. These opponents are obviously respectable and would reinforce any credibility he currently still holds as a true contender. Dan Hooker is another option, but he sits at a clear third on the list for best comeback opportunities.
While we wait for the next move, it’s clear that Tony Ferguson needs to do some soul searching. After such a lengthy winning streak, two consecutive losses must be hard to deal with, especially when you consider the numerous injuries that have derailed his largest professional opportunities.
A strong grip on your mental health is of the utmost importance in the fight game and as fans, all we can do is hope that El Cucuy is good to go going forward.
