At this point in time, the UFC seems to be hotter than its ever been. Every division is creating noise and producing star after star. Well, no other division seems to exemplify this more than the lightweight division, which is why Tony Ferguson fighting Anthony Pettis at UFC 229 should be getting more attention than it is.
We all know the lightweight division is home to arguably the two biggest fighters in the division. Conor McGregor has stitched his name in history as the biggest star in UFC history. Khabib Nurmagomedov, 26-0 in his professional career, has not only never lost a round but has mercilessly beaten down each one of his opponents.
Both of these fighters are going to meet on Oct. 6th to give fight fans the biggest fight in UFC history. Two megastars with skill sets on opposite ends of the MMA spectrum are set to stand across from each other in the octagon.
Lightweight Superstars
With all this commotion though, it looks like someone’s been forgotten. Conor and Khabib are not the only top tier in the division. Tony Ferguson, the former interim lightweight champion stripped of his title, has not lost a fight since 2012. After sustaining another injury, Ferguson lost his shot at Khabib earlier on in the year and has been on the sidelines ever since. His lightweight title dreams will have to wait however, as his injuries set him back a fight. The “Co-Main Event” on the card will now presumably be Ferguson taking on Anthony Pettis with the winner will more than likely get a crack at the title.
“El Cucuy”
Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson can be described as a fighter with no holes in his game. Ferguson’s guard is as aggressive as anybody’s in the UFC. His standup is lethal and unorthodox, not to mention his wrestling might be one of the stronger parts of his game as he was an amateur wrestling state champion in his younger days. Most importantly, Tony always comes to fight, no matter the opponent.
“Showtime”
Speaking of his opponent, however, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis has been on a mission to earn his credibility back ever since he lost his belt. “Showtime” is known for pulling off some of the most creative moves we’ve ever seen in the octagon. Even though he is coming off a win against Michael Chiesa, he is going to have be on his A-Game in order to get his hand raised against Ferguson. The scary thing is even his A-Game might not be enough (of course, I have “El Cucuy” winning this fight!).
So, why do we love this fight? The UFC is mainly focused on Conor vs. Khabib at the moment. What happens if we throw another name like Ferguson in the mix? I don’t have the answer to that question, but we can all agree it makes things more interesting. Worst case, we get a brawl between El Cucuy and Showtime that’ll be one to remember.