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The fight between Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson has received a verbal agreement, but no paperwork has been signed. Chandler is ranked 6th in the lightweight division. Whereas Ferguson has been a former UFC interim lightweight champion. Chandler, with a 22-7 record, enters this bout after losing two consecutive fights since winning his debut UFC match against Dan Hooker at UFC 257 in January 2021.
The 35-year-old has suffered defeats against UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje. The Missourian has been a three-time Bellator lightweight champion and signed with UFC as a free agent in 2020. Ferguson has a record of 25-6 but he hasn’t won a single bout in the last three years. He has lost in his three consecutive fights against Justin Gaethje, Oliveira, and Beneil Dariush. He is currently placed at the 9th-rank in MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings. The former lightweight champion defeated Donald Cerrone with a doctor’s TKO victory at UFC 238 in June 2019.
UFC president Dana White has been playing for this fight between Chandler and Ferguson for months. Both Chandler and Ferguson look like an ideal match as both fighters have incredible striking power. During a recent interview with MMA journalist Helen Yee, Chandler talked about Ferguson’s tough approach in the ring. He said, “The thing about Tony is he’s unbreakable,” Chandler said. “He’s a little bit crazy, got a screw loose. He’s not gonna be a guy that I’m going to be able to break, he’s not going to be a guy that I’m going to be able to wear out and tire out. But, I’m going to get in his face and put hands on him very quickly.”