Dustin Poirier, Ben Askren, Marvin Vettori and Other Fighters Stunned as Tony Ferguson Loses his Third Straight Fight at UFC 262

The Toyota Center went berserk as Tony Ferguson and Beneil Dariush made their way towards the UFC octagon at UFC 262. The scrap was tagged as the co-main event and fans earmarked the fight as a ‘Fight of the Night’ candidate’. As the fighters made their way out, it was clear that the anticipation had reached a crescendo.

Ferguson looked fresh in the opening moments of the fight. However, Dariush, who secured an early takedown, took control of the first round. Despite that, he could not mount a meaningful offense.

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Beneil Dariush smothered hopes of a Tony Ferguson comeback at UFC 262

As Ferguson started off the second round with a strong D’arce choke attempt, it seemed as though he was on his way to a finish. However, Dariush swung the momentum in his favor and secured a dominant position as the fight progressed. In fact, Dariush caught the former interim champion in a leg lock that had ‘El Cucuy’ in all sorts of trouble.

Beneil Dariush didn’t take his foot off the gas in the third round and absolutely dominated Ferguson for the entire five-minute duration. Ferguson looked somewhat defenseless as the fight played on, and it was clear he was fatigued. As the final bell rang, there was little doubt that Dariush had done enough to win the contest.

Beneil Dariush, who came in as the #9 ranked fighter, will leave Houston as a major player in the lightweight division. A win over a former interim champion in Ferguson is sure to put him over the top in a huge way. Moreover, he showed new depth to his skill set and is a clear force in the division.

As for Tony Ferguson, he’s now convincingly lost three straight fights. What’s next for him remains unclear. However, at 37 years of age, it would seem like a road back to the title has been blocked off. In just about a year his fortunes have changed dramatically, as he went from a title challenger to a fringe contender at best.

What did you make of the UFC 262 co-main event fight?