3. The Last Ride for Tony Ferguson (and Michael Chiesa?)
Every era of any sport has its share of stars that carry the torch for the business and the fanbase. For the critical era of the 2010’s that saw the UFC move to network television and eventually a juggernaut in ESPN, one of the most beloved personalities was Tony Ferguson. “El Cucuy” turned in one wild performance after another, and along the way became the foil against larger than life characters in Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov even if neither bout ever did materialize.
To say these have been tough times inside the cage recently for Ferguson would be stating the most obvious. But the fans and the UFC itself have shown with their reception and matchmaking respectively that there is still great affection for the former interim champion. It is also most likely why he has been allowed to remain as part of the organization despite his skid. UFC CEO Dana White was adamant about not offering Ferguson another bout following his loss in December, but it is widely expected that he’s been given this bout to complete his contract and likely to be free to pursue any non-MMA endeavor (such as boxing or Jiu-Jitsu competitions) with impunity following Saturday’s UFC Abu Dhabi card.
Michael Chiesa has had a long UFC run of his own that most of his contemporaries would love to have. While Ferguson will command the lion’s share of attention, the 36 year-old may be also see this showcase in the Middle East as perfect an opportunity as any to take a final bow after having been out of the cage for more than a year come fight night.
