Point of interest: Turnaround intangibles
The biggest change to this booking the second time around is undoubtedly the turnaround that each fighter faces.
Ferguson went aheada and made weight successfully on April 17, stating that he cut 24 pounds in four days because “it just made f*cking sense.”
I, for one, have always appreciated Ferguson’s uniqueness and didn’t really make too much of it given both his physical discipline and commitment to mental warfare. Although Ferguson doesn’t appear to take too kindly to any sort of speculation about his actions, I couldn’t help but pick the mind of a professional who is very familiar with the process of cutting weight — Mike Dolce.
First I encourage everyone to watch my full interview with Dolce linked above in order to draw your own interpretations on the subject, but we basically had a conversation about the process and potential consequences of cutting Ferguson’s cited weight within the time frame of back-to-back cuts (three weeks apart).
[lawrence-related id=515695]
Dolce brings up a great point in the interview about Ferguson’s background in wrestling and the experience those seasons bring in regards to repetitive cuts and competitive turnarounds that I totally sign off on in regards to easing the criticism of Ferguson’s choice. Couple that with the previously-mentioned dedication of Ferguson and perhaps the former interim champ is right in regards to us not having to worry about his business.
Don’t forget: Ferguson is still one of the few fighters coming into UFC 249 with any sort of semblance to a full and “normal” training camp – something Gaethje can’t exactly say for himself.
In fact, with Gaethje both taking this fight on short notice (against the normal protocol of his camp and style) as well as having to endure whatever ups-and-downs of emotion that accompanied the initial cancellation, then perhaps we are questioning the wrong person when it comes to peak performance.
Next point of interest: Odds, opinion and prediction