“Tony Was Gonna Eat Him up” – Kevin Lee Gives Bold Verdict on Justin Gaethje vs Tony Ferguson

Kevin Lee was on the last UFC card that took place before Coronavirus stopped UFC events. The next glimmer of hope that UFC fans have is of watching Tony Ferguson vs Justin Gaethje. The former interim title challenger, Lee, gave his verdict on how he sees the fight playing out.

Gaethje is serving as a replacement for Khabib Nurmagomedov. As a result, he took the fight on very short notice. Kevin Lee believes that if the fight would have happened on April 18th, Gaethje would have stood no chance.

“When it first was announced and he (Gaethje) was taking it on short notice, I thought Gaethje was gonna get tucked into hamburger meat,” Lee said while talking to Luke Thomas for SiriusXM radio. “He’s gonna keep walking into them punches. Tony throws straight. Gaethje tries to throw straight but he gets loopy when he gets hit. And somebody like Tony who moves his head well and throws his hands right down in the middle, he was gonna eat him up.”

However, the fight couldn’t happen as Dana White had to postpone UFC 249 after an intervention from Disney and ESPN. While the fans may not welcome the decision, Kevin believes that the extended period of training will be beneficial for Gaethje.

“Now he [Gaethje] is gonna get a lot more time to prepare for the fight. I don’t know why Tony’s taking the fight. Does he still stand a chance? Yes. But now it’s gonna be a much more difficult fight,” said Lee.

“The leg kicks are going to be the deciding factor. Gaethje’s got [Trevor] Wittman in his corner. The way Tony moves, he likes to dance on you. His legs are open. I feel like if they damage his leg enough, then Gaethje won’t need the takedown.”

Kevin Lee believes Tony Ferguson cutting weight twice could lead to him being knocked out

Tony Ferguson has been known for doing things that are off the hook. Therefore, “El Cucuy” did something along the same lines by making weight for a fight which isn’t supposed to happen. Ferguson made 155 pounds on 17th March as per the original schedule. While he received praises from several people, “The Motown Phenom” thinks the action may have adverse effects.

Luke played the devil’s advocate and asked Lee if age was a factor for the 36-year old Ferguson. “Yes. Especially when you put yourself through the extra s***. Having to make championship weight again for no reason. These weight cuts are no joke. You take a lot out of your body. He’s a big dude too. He’s my size,” said Lee.

“When you are 36 and you’re doing that it doesn’t look good. You’re dehydrating your brain. It’s just not a good idea to do it twice for no reason. And that too in such a short amount of time. Maybe he could get clipped. But I don’t see that happening. Tony is tough as f***.”

Kevin Lee fought Tony for the interim title in 2017. Despite being the aggressor initially, Lee lost the fight via submission. Consequently, he is fully aware of the threat that Tony brings inside the Octagon.