THROWBACK: UFC D’Arce Chokes Leader Tony Ferguson Beats Edson Barboza 5 Years Ago On This Day

Tony Ferguson is one of the best all-around fighters in the UFC. He has competent wrestling, electrifying stand-up, and deadly jiu-jitsu. He has beaten his opponents in all facets of a fight. However, there is one move that Ferguson goes to quite often to finish his opponents.

That move is the D’Arce Choke. The submission is considered one of the harder moves to pull off in an actual fight. We have seen it more than a handful of times in the UFC, but it is usually a move that catches opponents by surprise. This is why we don’t see the same fighters consistently pulling off D’Arce chokes. Except for one.

Tony Ferguson is the leader in the UFC for D’Arce choke finishes with three. The most famous of these wins came against Brazilian Edson Barboza on December 12, 2015.

The fight was a bloody affair that lasted just under two full rounds. Ferguson caught Barboza in the choke a little before the halfway point of the second round, where a bloody Barboza had no choice but to tap. Both men were bleeding, with a hard-fought but quick fight.

Tony Ferguson: Making his comeback

We haven’t seen Ferguson fight since his loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 249. Ferguson was booked for a lightweight title bout against Khabib Nurmagomedov, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused the fight to be canceled again. Ferguson took a short-notice fight against Gaethje, who out-classed him on his way to stealing ‘El Cucuy’s’ spot.

Ferguson will return against Charles ‘Do Bronx’ Oliviera. While Oliviera may not be the top-ranked opponent Ferguson initially wanted, it will be a very hard test for El Cucuy. Oliviera himself knows his way around submissions, so Ferguson will have to be just as careful in his guard, But ideally, he looks to engage in the fight standing up.

A loss for Ferguson in this fight could be an issue, as the top of the LW division becomes more competitive. Hopefully, he shows out with a strong performance and manages to keep himself relevant atop the division. Could he end the evening with a D’Arce choke on the five-year anniversary of his win against Barboza?