You knew there was something special about [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] from the moment he entered the UFC.
Ferguson (25-3 MMA, 13-1 UFC) was a competitor on Season 13 of “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2011. That was right around the time seasons of the UFC’s flagship reality series were all starting to blend together, but there was something that stood about the fighter out of Southern California, who then sported an 11-2 record, that made him memorable all the same.
We got a glimpse of that way at the TUF 13 Finale in Las Vegas on June 4, 2011. Competing against the well-respected Ramsey Nijem that night, Ferguson displayed hints of the frenetic mix of unorthodox standup and relentless energy in his scrambles that would soon make him one of the greatest lightweights in the world.
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Ferguson went on to use a big left hand to set up the finis and TKOd Nijem at the 3:54 mark of the opening round.
That was just the start of big things for Ferguson, who has won 15 of 16 in the UFC, including 12 in a row, winning an interim title along the way. That just builds the anticipation for his long-awaited bout with undefeated lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The duo is scheduled to fight at UFC 249 on April 18, pending finding a location that will clear the UFC to put on a fight card during the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.
To check out the fight that put Ferguson on the UFC map, watch the video above.
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