Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Chiesa Preview
A clash of UFC veterans looking for a must-needed win at UFC Abu Dhabi occurs when Tony Ferguson and Michael Chiesa square off.
Tony Ferguson’s notorious 7-fight losing streak has been grieved by many MMA fans already. Once a fan-favorite top P4P fighter, Ferguson has looked like a shell of his former self lately. From winning the interim title to not being in the rankings, Ferguson has been a victim of father time and the injury bug. ‘El Cucuy’ looks to turn a new page with a move up to welterweight, the division he won TUF at back in 2011. A return to his roots could prove successful for Ferguson, but that is yet to be seen heading into his fight with Michael Chiesa.
Michael Chiesa also comes back looking for a career revival of sorts. The 18-fight veteran has lost three straight and has been a victim of inactivity. Chiesa works on the UFC’s backstage commentary team and has been focused on building that career over fighting. This will be just his second fight since the start of 2022 and his first fight this year. Losses to Kevin Holland, Vicente Luque, and Sean Brady are nothing to be ashamed of, but Chiesa’s last win came over three and a half years ago. A win against an older and less dangerous Ferguson is necessary to his fighting career.
Recap
A slow start to the fight was ended when Chiesa landed a big left hand to get the action going. Ferguson returned with a leg kick but seemed to be content with starting slow and finding his range. A few exchanges on the feet didn’t lead to any meaningful strikes, but a slip from Ferguson on a Chiesa takedown attempt did. Once the fight hit the ground, Chiesa immediately worked to the back of Ferguson and wrapped his neck. Ferguson was grimacing before the choke was even in, and once it got deeper, Ferguson was forced to tap. Chiesa gets back in the win column with a big first-round rear-naked choke over Tony Ferguson. After his eighth straight loss, Tony Ferguson debated retirement on the mic. Leaving one glove in the cage and keeping one with him, Ferguson said he has to choose what his future holds.
The submission was announced at 3:44 to give Chiesa his first finish since 2018 and fastest win since 2016.
UFC Fighters Show Love to Tony Ferguson Following Loss to Michael Chiesa
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