There was no way the UFC 249 main event battle between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje could disappoint. And it didn’t. Not by a long shot.
Justin Gaethje put on a masterful performance, absolutely dominating Tony Ferguson, battering “El Cucuy” for the better part of five rounds. Ferguson looked not unlike ground beef by the time referee Herb Dean called a stop to the fight in the fifth — and even then, he didn’t go down. The fight was stopped with Ferguson still standing. Bloodied. His body failing to responded.
Gaethje fought a smart fight. At times in the past, he’s been reckless. Overly aggressive. It’s why fans love him, but now, he’s measured. At least at UFC 249, it was a controlled chaos.
“I’m a killer in here, but as soon as I step out of this octagon, you will not see that in me,” Gaethje said following the fight. He gave credit to his parents for setting an example, and now has an interim lightweight title to show it.
That said, “The Highlight” declined the belt post-fight, saying he would wait for the real one. That, of course, means a showdown with lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Who was clearly watching the fight, as he tweeted out his response to Gaethje’s performance afterward.
Below, see how Khabib, Jon Jones, and a host of other pros reacted to Justin Gaethje’s win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 249!
What the fuck are those two made of #UFC249 great fight for Justin man
— Brian Kelleher (@brianboom135) May 10, 2020
I really wish I would’ve seen som grappling. #UFC249
— Alesha Zappitella (@aleshazapp) May 10, 2020
Wow what a time…
Justin Gaethje #earned @Justin_Gaethje 🏆— Cynthia Calvillo (@cyn_calvillo) May 10, 2020
My man @Justin_Gaethje with that BLACK AND GOLD BABY!!! Congrats killa. Meet you in TX! Its time to go hunt again! #UFC249
— Corey Anderson UFC (@CoreyA_MMA) May 10, 2020
That was everything we hoped for and more, congrats to both men! #UFC249
— Gerald Meerschaert (@The_Real_GM3) May 10, 2020
What a way to cap off an evening of great fights! A brief moment of normality amid a world in disarray. Congrats to @Justin_Gaethje, @TrevorWittman and team on a spectacular performance
— Brad Katona (@bradkatona) May 10, 2020
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) May 10, 2020
Tony Ferguson would probably literally die before he would even get knocked down. I don’t understand how that’s even possible. Big fan of Gaethje. Insane performance. #UFC249
— Tanner Boser (@BulldozerBoser) May 10, 2020
You gotta feel for Ferguson here. Phenomenal win streak, comes to a halt, without the chance to fight the king of the division, after 5 attempts of matching them up. Wild story. Gaethje become an absolute stud since his 2 losses within the UFC umbrella. #UFC249
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) May 10, 2020
Unreal fight by @Justin_Gaethje tonight. Even more excited to see him fight Khabib #UFC249
— Mike Trizano (@TheLoneWolfMMA) May 10, 2020
@Justin_Gaethje is my favorite fighter
— Cody Stamann (@CodyStamann) May 10, 2020
I’m SO HAPPY for Justin Gaethje!!! Yeah!!!! Congrats!! Too bad the fight got stopped…. I always say, let’em fall. But Justin would have won anyway. #TeamGaethje
— Roxanne Modafferi (@Roxyfighter) May 10, 2020
Amazing fights. Thank you to all fighters tonight #UFC249 I think we all needed this. #Motivation
— Randa Markos (@randamma) May 10, 2020
What a fight! These two savages put on one hell of a war tonight. Nothing but respect and congrats to the #andnew champ @Justin_Gaethje 👑👏 pic.twitter.com/PMkwHpIt5t
— The Mane Event™ (@EliasTheodorou) May 10, 2020
Great message from Justin, I like him
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) May 10, 2020
Classy
Both post fight speeches were great to hear !
— Chris Weidman (@chrisweidman) May 10, 2020
In the end, RESPECT 🏆 #UFC249 pic.twitter.com/MCMSCcHPDt
— UFC_Asia (@UFC_Asia) May 10, 2020
Khabib Time
No comment.
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) May 10, 2020
@Justin_Gaethje it was so impressive, congratulations. Very smart fight.
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) May 10, 2020
You guys wanna post khabibs tweet but not mine 🙄😂what the heck #ufc249
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) May 10, 2020
