After a year away from the octagon, Tony Ferguson will look to go back to his winning ways. Sports Illustrated's Justin Barrasso is reporting that Ferguson will face off against Michael Chandler in a lightweight bout at UFC 274.
UFC 274 takes place on May 7 from inside the Footprint Arena in Phoenix. The main event will be another lightweight bout featuring Charles Oliveira defending the UFC lightweight title against Justin Gaethje.
The Chandler-Ferguson fight has been rumored to be happening for weeks, with both sides recently agreeing to fight one another.
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The winner of The Ultimate Fighter 13, Ferguson made his pro debut in 2008. Joining the UFC in 2011, Ferguson is 15-4 with the promotion. A former interim UFC lightweight champion, injuries have affected his career.
Ferguson had his 12-fight win streak dating back to 2013 snapped at UFC 249 in 2020 by Gaethje. Gaethje landed 143 shots, mainly to the face of Ferguson, before beating him via TKO. Ferguson has since lost tough fights against Oliveira and Beneil Dariush. The Dariush fight was last May.
The 38-year-old faces another tough task when he takes on Chandler, a three-time Bellator lightweight champion. An All-American, Chandler made his pro debut in 2009. He accumulated an 18-5 record in Bellator before joining the UFC in 2021. Chandler beat Dan Hooker via TKO at UFC 257 but has since lost two in a row to Oliveira and Gaethje.
Chandler landed 103 strikes in his battle with Gaethje inside Madison Square Garden. He believes his power could be too much for someone like Ferguson, who has recently absorbed a lot of damage. He is not counting Ferguson out of the fight, however.
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“I think my biggest advantage, I think I’m just basic, and I’m going to keep a high pace … we know Tony can keep a high pace, but I think it’s going to be a little bit sharper,” Chandler told CBS Sports, via MMA Junkie. “I think my power is going to be a lot for him. I think I’m going to have a speed advantage and an athleticism advantage. I think I’m good in all the areas that Tony is good at. I think he’s got very slick jiu-jitsu. I have yet to ever be caught in a submission, so I don’t see Tony catching me in anything like that. But he is very dangerous on the ground. I think his biggest attribute, his biggest strength and the thing that people fear the most is he’s got a little bit of a screw loose.
“That’s what excites everybody about these matchups. You never know what you’re going to get whenever Tony steps into the octagon... He’s just unpredictable."
