Tony Ferguson is set to return on December 12 at UFC 256 against Charles Oliveira. This was first reported by ESPN. UFC president Dana White told Brett Okamoto, “El Cucuy” will be added to the last pay-per-view of the year.
Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) will face Charles Oliveira (@CharlesDoBronxs) at UFC 256 on Dec. 12 in Las Vegas, per Dana White (@danawhite). Ferguson gets his wish to fight again before the end of 2020. Huge addition to that Dec. 12 event.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 21, 2020
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The UFC 256 pay-per-view is set to take place at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The inclusion of Ferguson raises the excitement around the card which will see two top lightweight contenders duke it out.
Ferguson has been campaigning for a fight for a while now
Ferguson has been campaigning to fight once more in 2020 for a long time now. The former interim lightweight champion got his 12-fight win streak snapped at UFC 249, as he suffered a fifth-round TKO loss to Justin Gaethje.
Michael Chandler was campaigning for a fight against Ferguson for his UFC debut. Ferguson accepted the challenge and wanted to face the former Bellator lightweight champion in December. But Chandler, having recently made weight as the back-up fighter for UFC 254 main event, wanted a bit more time to get ready. However, “El Cucuy” wanted to fight in 2020 itself.
“We don’t wait, we call the shots. Line them up.” Chief Security Officer of the UFC. See you Dec 12 Crew ⚔️🕶 Champ Shit Only™️ 🇺🇸🏆🇲🇽 # DarceKnightRises @ufc @danawhite pic.twitter.com/ddJxBhIWbe
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) November 21, 2020
Ferguson is looking to get back to title contention as soon as possible. He has beaten the who’s who of the 155lbs division. Although the loss to Gaethje was a setback for him, it shouldn’t tarnish his previous achievements as he was unconquered for eight years.
If anybody deserves a title shot at lightweight, it has to be Ferguson. But, he needs to get back in the win column for that. At 36, it is understandable that he doesn’t want to waste much time from what he has left in his fighting career.
This is a huge opportunity for Charles Oliveira
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— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 21, 2020
As for Charles “Do Bronx” Oliviera, he is on an impressive seven-fight win streak of his own. He has been looking for a top contender for a long time now. He submitted Kevin Lee in his last fight and a match against the former interim champion Tony Ferguson presents him with just that.
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Stylistically it is bound to be a fantastic fight between two technically well-rounded fighters in all aspects of the game. Who will come out victorious? Let us know in the comments.
Also read: Demetrious Johnson Responds to Fans for Not Watching Muhammad Ali Fight Earlier in His Life
