Two elite lightweights with a point to prove will go head to head in a main card clash at UFC 274, as Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson get set to meet in an eagerly-anticipated clash at 155 pounds.
Both men are coming into the fight needing to right the ship after suffering successive losses.
After an explosive UFC debut win over Dan Hooker in January 2021, Chandler was stopped by Charles Oliveira in their battle for the vacant lightweight title. Then the former Bellator champ was outpointed by Justin Gaethje in one of the UFC’s all-time great fights at UFC 268.
It means that Chandler heads into UFC 274 this weekend on a two-fight skid, and he’ll be desperate to convert his crowd-pleasing performances into wins on his record, starting with his bout with Ferguson, who’ll be looking to fix his own poor run of form.
“El Cucuy” saw his 12-fight win streak snapped by a fifth-round TKO at the hands of Gaethje at UFC 249 in May 2020 as his bid to recapture the interim lightweight title fell short in Jacksonville.
Ferguson attempted to bounce back against Oliveira at UFC 256, but was defeated on the scorecards. That fate then repeated itself against Beneil Dariush five months later at UFC 262.
It means Ferguson is on the worst run of form of his career. But victory over Chandler will catapult “El Cucuy” straight back into contention once again.
Both still harbour championship ambitions at 155 pounds, but only one can push their case on Saturday night.
Ahead of the matchup, check out the UFC’s pre-fight film, UFC 274 Countdown, which tells the pre-fight story of the bout, with opinions from both fighters and their teams.
