Tony Ferguson was once considered a fan-favorite and a top contender for the championship title. He had an impressive 12-win streak from 2013 to 2019, defeating many renowned names along the way. He was known for his quick and eccentric style, and ruining his opponents faces.
However, Ferguson’s fortunes took a downturn in 2020 after losing to Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight belt. Since then, he has suffered 4 losses to top contenders in the lightweight division. His latest appearance was a welterweight bout against Nate Diaz last September. Despite his recent poor performance, Ferguson refuses to retire and is ready for another match.
UFC lightweight Tony Ferguson is rumored to be negotiating a rematch with fellow UFC veteran Kevin Lee at UFC 290 in July. Although the UFC has yet to officially confirm any bouts for the event, Rueben Carter broke the news on twitter.
Tony Ferguson vs Kevin Lee 2 is in talks for July 8th 2023. #UFC290 pic.twitter.com/aa91TuHveM
— 𝙍𝙪𝙚𝙗𝙚𝙣 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙧 🥇 (@realruebenking) March 6, 2023
Kevin Lee, on the other hand, was released from the UFC in 2021 after a 1-4 record. He was rumored to be a casualty of the Francis Ngannou negotiations because the two shared an agent at the them.
Lee then signed with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Eagle FC and won his debut bout against Diego Sanchez via unanimous decision. With the demise of Eagle FC, Lee managed to rejoin the UFC.
Ferguson and Lee have met before in the octagon at UFC 216 in 2017, where they competed for the interim lightweight belt. It was a close match, but Ferguson ultimately won by submitting Lee with a triangle in the third round. Lee was sporting a pretty obvious chest staph infection at the time and there was even a lot of talk about Ferguson’s technique because he used an opposite side triangle.
If the rumors are true, the bout is likely to be happening at 170lbs considering both Ferguson and Lee expressed the desire to make Welterweight their new home after lengthy stints at lightweight.
Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee’s rematch at UFC 290 is highly anticipated, especially after their previous encounter. Fans are eager to see if Ferguson can bounce back from his recent losses and prove his critics wrong, while Lee hopes to make a successful comeback to the UFC. It remains to be seen if the rumors will come true, but the potential rematch has already generated a buzz in the MMA community.
Ezra Samuel is a passionate freelance writer with a particular love for covering MMA news. His interest in the sport dates back to his college days, and he has since established himself as a respected voice in the MMA community. Over the years, Ezra has contributed his writing to a variety of digital outlets, including the popular site calfkicker.