Tag: Tony Ferguson

Dustin Poirier knows why he wasn’t selected for UFC 249, picks Justin Gaethje to KO Tony Ferguson

Dustin Poirier doesn’t necessarily like the logic, but he gets it.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] understands why he wasn’t chosen to replace Khabib Nurmagomedov against [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] at UFC 249.

When news surfaced that Nurmagomedov was unable to defend his lightweight title against Ferguson in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Poirier, the former interim champion, was among those to throw his name in the hat to take the fight.

Ultimately, the promotion decided to go with [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag], who now meets Ferguson for the interim 155-pound belt on the April 18 card, which will reportedly go down at Tachi Palace Casino Resort just outside of Lemoore, Calif.

Despite the fact Poirier (25-6 MMA, 17-5 UFC) holds a TKO win over Gaethje (21-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) from less than two years ago, he sees why the UFC went the direction it did. Poirier is coming off a loss to Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 in September, and if he beat Ferguson, the UFC would be positioned to run an immediate rematch with Khabib.

“I think that’s exactly what it was,” Poirier told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “Me coming off the loss to Khabib, it’s just a new contender, a guy on a streak, an exciting fight. It’s just what happens. It’s business. I understand it’s a business. I can’t twist their arm and make them do things. Of course I would love to be in there across from Tony, but it’s all good. I’ve just got to fight and win, and everything will resolve itself.”

From the moment the new UFC 249 main event was announced, Poirier hasn’t shied away from offering a prediction. Ferguson and Gaethje are two of the great action fighters in the UFC, with a combined 17 fight-night bonuses over the course of their octagon tenures.

The fight will see a clash between two forces of violence, but Poirier said he’s got a strong inclination of which way it goes.

“I think (Gaethje is) going to knock Tony out,” Poirier said. “Both guys on the technical side of it don’t have the most crisp technique when it comes to kickboxing, but they’re both very damaging fighters. They both go in with reckless abandonment of their own self to land the big shots. I just think Gaethje is going to land something big on the inside and hurt Tony, man. I really do. We’ve seen Tony hurt a few times. I just think Gaethje is going to be the one to finish him.”

[lawrence-related id=505114,505390,505301]

If Ferguson does fall to Gaethje at UFC 249, it would represent one of the great tragedies for a fighter. After putting together a 12-fight winning streak at lightweight, the world has been keen to see “El Cucuy” finally clash with Nurmagomedov, who is undefeated at 28-0 and riding 12 consecutive UFC wins.

A loss to Gaethje might spell the end of 36-year-old Ferguson’s title aspirations, and therefore hope for a showdown with Nurmagomedov. Poirier doesn’t sympathize, though, because that’s part of the fight game.

“Nah (I wouldn’t feel bad), that’s fighting,” Poirier said. “You take the risk. We’ll see what happens. That’s just fighting. It’s so unpredictable.”

[opinary poll=”who-do-you-think-wins-between-tony-fergu-LwS0Tj” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Dana White’s decision to ‘pump out fights’: admirable or madness?

Is Dana White’s determination to stage UFC cards during the coronavirus pandemic admirable or in bad taste?”

Is Dana White’s determination to stage UFC cards during the coronavirus pandemic admirable or, as boxing promoter Eddie Hearn suggested, is he “mad?”

White, the head of UFC, said he has secured a site for UFC 249 on April 18 in the United States – at a Native American reserve, according to at least one report — in spite of widespread lock downs and ultimately plans to showcase his product on an undisclosed private island.

UFC 249, originally scheduled for Brooklyn, almost certainly would take place without spectators but would be televised on ESPN. Tony Ferguson would face Justin Gaethje in the main event after Khabib Nurmagomedov pulled out.

White told ESPN that he is “going to continue to pump fights out.”

“I talked to the president and the vice president of the United States about this,” White said in an interview on ESPN. “They’re taking this very serious. They’re saying, ‘Be cautious, be careful, but live your life and stop panicking.’ Everybody is panicking, and instead of panicking, we’re actually getting out there and working with doctors and health officials and the government to figure out how we can keep the sport safe and how we can continue to put on events.”

White added: “We’re always looking out for the health and safety of our fans, our athletes, whatever it might be. This thing going on, we’re going to do the same thing. We’re going to make sure that two healthy athletes are competing, and these guys are good to go.”

As ESPN reported, the Association of Ringside Physicians has called for a suspension of all combat sports events.

A ARP statement read: “Any combat sport taking place during this global pandemic places the athletes, officials, and anyone else involved in the event under unnecessary risk of infection and transmission of COVID-19. In addition, combat sports athletes often require medical attention after a bout, and we do not wish to see any additional strain on an already overwhelmed medical system.”

White would have to find medical personal willing to buck the ARP recommendation and, because it’s unlikely any commission would oversee his cards, he would have to come up with his own judges and referees.

Hearn, whose cards are showcased on rival DAZN, said White’s plans are in “bad taste,” according to Express Sport.

“It’s unbelievable,” Hearn said. “I’d like to think that in boxing, there’s no-one more roll your sleeves up and get on with it than me. But even I wouldn’t consider staging an event right now. I’m not even thinking about options, not even on the radar.

“This is stubbornness. These are many of the things that make him successful but at some point you have to sit back and say ‘white flag’. I’m quite surprised ESPN are going ahead with this, obviously they want ratings and money.

“Half of me admires him for cracking on, but the other half says ‘come on don’t be mad.'”

UFC 249 official poster released: Tony Ferguson could make history with second interim title vs. Justin Gaethje

Check out the UFC 249 official poster, which is headlined by an interim lightweight title fight between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje.

[autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] has a chance to become the first fighter in UFC history to be crowned interim champion twice.

Perhaps not the record he was aiming for, but after lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was forced to pull out of UFC 249 due to travel restrictions in Russia, Ferguson drew [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag], and he still has a chance to win gold.

Ferguson (25-3 MMA, 15-1 UFC) captured the interim lightweight title in 2017 when he submitted Kevin Lee, but was later stripped of the title when he was forced out of his UFC 223 bout with Nurmagomedov due to injury.

Ferguson then scored back-to-back stoppage wins over Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone, setting him up with a fifth booking against Nurmagomedov that has again been canceled. Instead, he faces the streaking Gaethje for another shot at an interim title.

[lawrence-related id=505301,505256]

Gaethje (21-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is enjoying his best run after stopping his last three opponents in the first round. He will get his first crack at UFC gold against Ferguson.

Check out the official UFC 249 poster below (via Twitter):

The latest UFC 249 lineup includes:

  • Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje – for interim lightweight title
  • Jessica Andrade vs. Rose Namajunas
  • Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan De Castro
  • Vicente Luque vs. Niko Price
  • Calvin Kattar vs. Jeremy Stephens
  • Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
  • Uriah Hall vs. Ronaldo Souza
  • Alexander Hernandez vs. Omar Morales
  • Ray Borg vs. Marlon Vera
  • Michael Johnson vs. Khama Worthy
  • Sijara Eubanks vs. Sarah Moras
  • Sam Alvey vs. Ryan Spann

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

Spinning Back Clique: New main event, new card, but UFC 249 still in limbo

Is an interim title fight between Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje the right way to go?

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode, “Gorgeous” George, “Goze” and Mike Bohn react to the latest on UFC 249 and more.

SHOW RUNDOWN:

  • UFC 249 has a new main event with an interim lightweight title fight between [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] and [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] after the withdrawal of champion Khabib Nurmagomedov because of Russia’s travel ban during the coronavirus pandemic. Thoughts on the matchup and the fact that it’s for an interim belt: Did the UFC get the matchmaking right?
  • Not only does UFC 249 have a new headliner, it also has a revamped 12-fight lineup that features some original fights mixed with new ones. What it still doesn’t have – at least not officially – is a location, although Dana White has said he’s got one in mind and nearly finalized; he just doesn’t want to reveal where it is, although ESPN has reported somewhere “on the West Coast of the United States.” We’re getting closer and closer to April 18 and the possibility of UFC 249 actually happening. Is this OK?
  • White was among several major heads of sports leagues to be on a conference call with President Donald Trump to discuss a plan on bringing back games and events as COVID-19 continues to impact the nation in a big way. We’ve seen the UFC’s general approach: The show must go on. Do you think other leagues will follow the UFC’s lead?
  • Now that we’ve gone an entire month with MMA at a standstill and lacking fights, who’s stood out as someone keeping their profiles up during lockdown?
  • Is now the time for the UFC to consider making some changes – maybe adding or subtracting a division, for example?

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 23 of “Spinning Back Clique” above.

Justin Gaethje confident he can finish Tony Ferguson at UFC 249: ‘When I hit him, he’ll go to sleep’

Justin Gaethje is confident that, if he connects, it’ll be game over for Tony Ferguson when the pair meet in the new main event of UFC 249.

[autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] may be stepping on short notice at UFC 249, but he’s confident that if he connects, it’ll be game over for [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag].

Gaethje (21-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) faces Ferguson (25-3 MMA, 15-1 UFC) at an unknown location for the UFC interim lightweight title after champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was forced off the card due to the travel restrictions currently imposed in Russia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’ll be Gaethje’s first shot at UFC gold, and the former World Series of Fighting champion has looked better than ever, finishing each of his last three opponents in the first round. He knows the durable Ferguson won’t be an easy challenge, but Gaethje is riding a ton of confidence from his recent results, and aims to put Ferguson away.

“I got the perfect dance partner,” Gaethje told TMZ. “I got the dance partner that I dream about and that’s Tony Ferguson. “He thrives in dark places, he doesn’t get tired, he’s got cardio for days, and I hit like a Mack truck. So when I hit him, he’ll go to sleep.

“I possess some of the best finishing skills on the UFC roster,” he continued. “I’m gonna attack his body, I’m gonna attack his legs and whenever he’s worried about those, I’m going to punch him in the head and hopefully he goes to sleep. If not, he’s probably going to cut me up with some elbows, probably choke me out late in the fight if I don’t put him to sleep. But I’m content with every single one of those scenarios as long as I get to go in there and I don’t disappoint myself and my family.”

[lawrence-related id=505256,505126,505116]

While Gaethje is bidding to capture his first taste of UFC gold, Ferguson will be looking to become the first two-time interim champion in UFC history. His fight with Nurmagomedov was scrapped for the fifth time in the leadup to UFC 249, but he had no hesitation in accepting the late replacement in Gaethje.

Gaethje knows that Ferguson has already been preparing for months, and is expecting to be dragged into deep waters.

“Tony brings many challenges,” Gaethje said. “I’m looking forward to facing adversity in there. I literally know he thrives in dark places and I consider myself to also thrive in dark places. As disappointing as it is that Khabib and Tony aren’t happening, if you’re a fan of MMA, then you’re an idiot if you’re not excited about this fight.”

Gaethje admitted he had to assess his place in the UFC lightweight division before convincing his coach that accepting the fight was the right decision. He admits his coach was initially tentative, but Gaethje said that he doesn’t see too much to lose with this massive opportunity.

“They called me, my coach said no, not no, but my coach said, ‘You don’t take late replacement fights,'” said Gaethje. “I said, ‘You’re right,’ so I was like, ‘Let’s sleep on it.’ The next morning I woke up (and) I said, ‘If I lose, where are we at?’ and for me it’s in the same exact spot I’m at right now.

“I’m going to go out there and I’m going to get a paycheck, which is nice. But ultimately, I get a chance at glory. Heroes live forever and legends never die and I’m literally here to make a statement.”

[vertical-gallery id=446063]

With interim title fight set for UFC 249, Dana White unsure of Conor McGregor’s next move

With an interim title set for UFC 249, UFC president Dana White says he’s not sure what’s next for former two-division champ Conor McGregor.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s plan of waiting for another title shot will likely have to change if he wants a swift return.

The new UFC 249 main event between [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] and [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] will crown a new interim lightweight champion, meaning the UFC’s 155-pound title will likely be unified in a bout with current champion Khabib Nurmagomedov by the end of the year.

So where does that leave McGregor?

Speaking to ESPN, UFC president Dana White said it’s hard to gauge what happens next with McGregor (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC), who’s been eager to avenge his loss to Nurmagomedov.

“This impacts everybody,” White said. “There’s three (events) that have already been postponed that we’re going to work out over the next several weeks, and I don’t know where this puts anybody, because Conor really wants that rematch with Khabib, while Khabib and Tony or Gaethje won’t fight now until probably September. So yeah, nobody saw this coming. This is one of those things you can’t predict, or see coming, but it happened, and we’re rolling with it and we’re gonna get it figured out.”

[lawrence-related id=505256,505224,505138]

Nurmagomedov was forced out of the UFC 249 main event after finding himself stranded back home in Dagestan. With Ramadan approaching at the end of April, “The Eagle’s” projected return is likely to be around September.

McGregor made a statement in his return to action when he finished Donald Cerrone in just 40 seconds at UFC 246. There were rumors linking McGregor to a summer matchup with Gaethje, but with Gaethje now stepping in to challenge for the interim title, McGregor’s route back to the gold may have just gotten a little longer.

[vertical-gallery id=481635]

Dana White says Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje for an interim title at UFC 249 is a ‘no-brainer’

Dana White said he had no hesitation to make Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title at UFC 249.

The UFC will crown a new interim lightweight champion once again.

After undisputed lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov ended up stuck in Dagestan – and forced out of UFC 249 – due to his home nation’s travel ban, the promotion swiftly found [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] a new opponent, in the form of top contender [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag].

As well as being a replacement main event, the fight will also feature a replacement title, with UFC president Dana White announcing that Ferguson’s tussle with Gaethje would be for a newly-instituted interim 155-pound title. White said making the replacement matchup was an easy task.

“It’s a no-brainer,” he told ESPN. “You have two of the top guys in the world that everybody felt that if Conor was going to get a shot at Khabib, that actually Gaethje should get it before Conor. It couldn’t have worked out any better. You get Gaethje vs. Tony, it’s the fight that makes sense. It’s two of the top guys in the world. Khabib is out, so the winner will face Khabib.”

Despite seeing his long-awaited matchup with Nurmagomedov fall through for a fifth time, Ferguson was happy to keep things rolling by accepting the replacement matchup, and White paid tribute to “El Cucuy” for his willingness to move on so quickly.

“Tony, I gotta give it to him. He took it well, he took it really well,” said White. “It’s tough when you’re ready to get that fight that you’ve been waiting for, for so long, and it falls out, and I know everybody is going crazy on Khabib, Khabib didn’t do anything wrong.”

The coronavirus outbreak has caused a daily scramble and change of events for the UFC. But, for White, ending up with a high-caliber matchup like Ferguson vs. Gaethje is a great consolation prize. But even though he is moving forward with his new main event, White said he apportions no blame to Nurmagomedov for the chain of events that eventually led to him being unable to fight on Apr. 18.

“If you look at the way the world changed, literally by the day, we got caught up man, and he (Nurmagomedov) ended up getting flown back to Russia,” White said. “He didn’t fly back to Russia, he got flown back to Russia, so it sucks, but what are you gonna do?

“We’re lucky we’re even here, we still got Tony and Gaethje, which is a ridiculous fight. It’s great, it’ll be for the interim title, and we’re all going to have to wait again and try to do this thing in September.”

Despite White saying in the past that he’s done booking the Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson matchup, it appears he’s still willing to set it up again, should Ferguson prevail on Apr. 18.

“People want it so bad, people want to see this fight,” he said. “People want to see this fight, they want to see it happen. Brooklyn sold out in minutes, so it’s the fight that people want to see. Unfortunately, we’re just going to have to wait a little bit longer.”

[vertical-gallery id=497274]

Revamped UFC 249 lineup features Andrade-Namajunas 2, Ngannou-Rozenstruik, more

Not quite the “baddest ever card in MMA history,” but the revamped UFC 249 lineup certainly has some fights of significance.

It might not fit Dana White’s description as the “baddest ever card in MMA history,” but the revamped UFC 249 lineup certainly has some fights of significance.

With the coronavirus pandemic impacting the sports world as a whole, the UFC was not immune. The promotion postponed three events but remained focused on hosting UFC 249 on April 18, even after travel restrictions were implemented around the globe and lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov – who was supposed to fight [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] in the main event – fell off the card.

Ferguson (25-3 MMA, 15-1 UFC) now meets [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] (21-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) for the interim lightweight title in the headliner, but the UFC still has not announced an official location, although broadcast partner ESPN reported on Sunday that a venue on the West Coast is close to being finalized.

[lawrence-related id=505126,505116]

The situation has caused UFC matchmakers to shuffle the deck from the original UFC 249 lineup meant for Brooklyn, N.Y. Some fights have fallen off, while others were added.

UFC officials announced on Monday that the strawweight rematch between former champions [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] (20-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) and [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] (8-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) will remain as the co-main event, and a heavyweight fight between [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) vs. [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) – who were originally booked for UFC on ESPN 8 on March 28 – have been added to the main card.

Other notable matchups include: [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] (20-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) vs. [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] (28-17 MMA, 15-16 UFC) at featherweight; [autotag]Uriah Hall[/autotag] (15-9 MMA, 7-7 UFC) vs. [autotag]Ronaldo Souza[/autotag] (26-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC) at middleweight; and [autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag] (5-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) vs. [autotag]Yorgan De Castro[/autotag] (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at heavyweight.

The broadcast plans are unknown, but the latest UFC 249 lineup includes:

  • Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje – for interim lightweight title
  • Jessica Andrade vs. Rose Namajunas
  • Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan De Castro
  • [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag]
  • Calvin Kattar vs. Jeremy Stephens
  • Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
  • Uriah Hall vs. Ronaldo Souza
  • [autotag]Alexander Hernandez[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Omar Morales[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Michael Johnson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Khama Worthy[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Sijara Eubanks[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Sarah Moras[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Sam Alvey[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]

[vertical-gallery id=407706]

Potentially losing Khabib vs. Ferguson forever just isn’t worth the risk | Opinion

Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje is a nice consolation UFC 249 headliner, but it’s not the same.

We’re supposed to be less than two weeks away from arguably the biggest fight in UFC history, but somehow the fifth time wasn’t the charm.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] and [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] will not fight once again after being booked against each other, and this time it wasn’t either fighter’s fault. The coronavirus pandemic has put the whole world on hold, yet we were grasping at the idea of the UFC still trying to make Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson happen.

Nurmagomedov flew back to Dagestan last month after California, where his training camp was based at American Kickboxing Academy, issued a stay-at-home order to help curtail the spread of COVID-19. Nurmagomedov at the time was under the impression that UFC 249 would take place in Abu Dhabi, and now he’s stuck in Russia because of a travel ban.

Ferguson’s frustration last week was understandable. But Nurmagomedov ducking him? That’s nonsense.

So now we get Ferguson vs. [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] for the interim lightweight title, which was announced Monday as the new UFC 249 headliner at a location still to be determined. It’s the best possible replacement anyone could imagine. The matchup could end up delivering more than Ferguson vs. Nurmagomedov would, but the history, the statistics, the legacy all make Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson absolutely the fight to make.

We’ve waited five years, so why couldn’t we wait a few more months?

[lawrence-related id=505126,505116,504381]

Gaethje is enjoying his best run to date. He has recently tamed his overly aggressive and brawling style, delivering three straight first-round finishes. He is a very dangerous and worthy opponent, which is precisely the problem. We couldn’t get Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson for five years, so if Gaethje beats Ferguson, we probably never will. At least not with the stakes so high.

The fight has been brewing for years, but the matchup never has been bigger, with both men on remarkable winning streaks in the UFC and no man able to stop the undefeated Nurmagomedov.

We are currently in a global pandemic, meaning fighters are not only potentially risking their health and safety, but with non-essential gym business shut down, they haven’t had the proper preparation to compete. For Gaethje, he certainly has nothing to lose and everything to gain with an opportunity like this, but Ferguson is about to risk it all.

Kudos to him and his willingness to fight, but with no location even determined for the fight yet, we might as well have waited for the dust to settle. If Ferguson pulls this off, somehow the Nurmagomedov fight just got even bigger.

We can only hope.

[opinary poll=”how-mad-will-you-be-if-khabib-and-tony-n-FJWq2N” customer=”mmajunkie”]

[vertical-gallery id=497274]

Twitter reacts to Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje interim title fight at UFC 249

See how the MMA community reacted to the Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje UFC 249 main event announcement on Twitter.

[autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] will headline UFC 249 “somewhere on this planet” come April 18, according to Dana White.

With Khabib Nurmagomedov unable to compete because of Russia’s travel ban during the coronavirus pandemic, the UFC cobbled together Ferguson (25-3 MMA, 15-1 UFC) vs. Gaethje (21-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) for the interim lightweight title, and unsurprisingly the MMA world went a little nuts.

On paper, Ferguson and Gaethje is a dream matchup. The pair have 17 fight-night bonuses between them and have put on some of the most entertaining fights in 155-pound history. Having them meet under these conditions, however, is controversial at best.

[lawrence-related id=505116]

See how the MMA community digested the UFC 249 main event news with the top Twitter reactions below.

* * * *