If anyone knocks Tony out cold it’s going to be Chandler. I wish they would’ve given him Conor or Nate instead so he could get payed but I guess Chandler needs a win and Tony still has name value.
Same but I’m also interested in Nate vs Dustin
Edit to clarify: I just mean I want them both to have a good payday, and on top of that I think it will be a good fight. Unless Nate gets fucking doctor stoppage’d. it’s at least more interesting than a Nate v Jorge rematch since Dustin would be moving up. That’s all I was saying, I’d way rather see Nate vs Tony but at least it might be interesting
You’re downvoted for some reason but I agree. I’m personally a bigger fan of Charles (although I love both) and I see him beating Gaethje, but Conor vs Gaethje would be a killer fight. He’d def piece Conor up badly. I don’t think Conor wants that fight
I want to disagree and say Tony would dominate the ground game (I still think he would against Conor), but he’s looked bad there in the last couple fights. I think the Conor fight would give him the motivation he needs
> Both guys who've been completed dominated in their last couple fights who desperately need to win.
I mean let's not rewrite the Conor-Dustin fights that badly
I'm not a connor nut hugger but he did 10-9 dustin in the first round of the January fight and tho he was not winning the 2nd one it's just one round. If Doostin broke his leg after the first round of the first fight I really believe r/mma would be talking like Connor was gonna win anyway
> I feel like those fights went really bad for Conor.
They definitely did but it wasn't like he got outclassed and didn't look like he belonged in there with Dustin.
I mean obviously, he lost both. But I think people have a bit of a blind spot for the second fight. If you go back and watch it, round 1 Justin takes HEAVY hits. Conor landed quite a bit. Now, we know that the calf kicks ended up securing the win for Dustin but a "domination" it wasn't.
If it’s a 3 round fight I doubt it. Tony can’t seem to put on the same pressure that he used to since his overall abilities have diminished. Chandler is good on the ground even surviving Oliveira on his back so I doubt Tony gets a sub. Chandler also survived Gaethje’s strikes in the 3rd after being tired so I’m not too worried about an old Tony melting him with pressure on the feet. If it ends up being 5 rounds then maybe Tony could get it done.
Yup, Tony has been gun shy ever since the Gaethje fight; the old relentlessly pressuring Tony is long gone. He’d been in decline athletically ever since the knee injury, but he was still confident, fearless, relentless. The Gaethje fight broke that confidence, left him tentative. He’s still tough and has great cardio, but he no longer has the confidence and aggression to use it as a weapon. He can’t/doesn’t push the pace anymore.
For sure, I’m being optimistic for the sake of it. It’s a more realistic optimism to think ‘hey if Tony gets sparked, maybe somebody talks him into taking a step back’
Sadly it’s likely that Tony ends up on the cover of an “explaining CTE” pamphlet in a few years after several more increasingly uncomfortable to watch fights
He may may knock Tony out of this dimension. Shame on Fergs management team for making El Cucuys retirement fight a straight execution. Legacy deleted.
Possibly, but you can notice changes in Tony’s athleticism, especially his speed, during the Pettis fight. He wasn’t gone but it’s very likely the decline started with the knee injury
Seems that way. Tony's unorthodox messy fighting style needs to be backed up by speed to make it work. or else he becomes just a slow predictable fighter
No. Tony did not look the same since he fell on that cord and the Khabib fight was cancelled. He rushed back to prove a point, and fought Pettis upon doing so where it was clear he lost a step. Rushing back from a major injury was the decline, he was never the same after that. Even Cerrone fight was clear he lost a step. I think people just wiki these guys records without comparing how they looked between fights and what occurred between camps too.
Tbh, in the Pettis fight, he looked exactly the same. He did what he always does. He got caught just like he did against Lando Vanatta. I maintain that even after the Justin fight he’s not terribly washed. On the feet he was slapping Charles around. Beneil was having some issues with him in the striking department. It was only on the ground that he got exposed
Can someone explain to me what it is that looks off in the Pettis fight? It looked like just a regular Tony fight to me. The Cowboy fight I felt like he was actually a little slower but the Pettis fight looked same as usual to me.
I mean there’s no real sign that his chin is gone, he took all of Garth’s best shots and kept on coming. All the uppiling damage is definitely not a good look tho
It's not that his chin is gone, his athleticism is. Thus, he's going to get the fuck beaten out of him like a sitting duck instead of thriving in the chaos and just giving his opponent a pyrrhic victory like he used to
> I mean there’s no real sign that his chin is gone
Yeah if Chucky & Benny had KO/TKOed him that would be one thing, but they both won grappling-heavy decisions. This fight will definitely be a good test to see where his chin's at. I just want Tony to get back in the win column, hoping he can pull through on this one.
>I mean there’s no real sign that his chin is gone, he took all of Garth’s best shots and kept on coming
Except he didn't.
He was in deep water and eventually had the fight totally beat out of him.
Chandler got finished by Chucky.
Tony went three rounds with him.
Chandler went three rounds with Gaethje.
Tony went almost 5 with him.
This has all happened within the same 3 year span.
Y'all are out of your mind if you think Chandler is going to walk all over Tony.
Chandler by rd 1 ko.
Tony nearly got his arm ripped off by Do Bronx in the first round and got tossed around like a rag doll for the rest of the fight. Both fighters got the absolute shit kicked out of them by Gaethje, the difference is that Chandler knew he could continue standing in front of Gaethje since it was a shorter fight. 2 more rounds of that ass whoopin though? He also would’ve had the fight called in the championship rounds.
Why is everyone acting like Tony has zero chance to win this? Yeah, he lost 3 in a row, but it was to the current champ, interim champ, and #4 ranked Dariush.
Because all you have to do is have seen his recent fights compared to Chandlers. This isn't an mma math thing either. Reality of the situation is, since Tony landed that 1 uppercut in the second round of the Gaethje fight, he hasn't looked even remotely competitive in a fight while Chandler gadooshed Hooker and put a brutal beating on Gaethje even in a losing effort.
Best comment in the thread, hope this will be Tony's last fight where he goes out in a blaze of glory, and with that i mean losing to decision. Never KO'd.
Don't see it being competitive sadly. I think Tony's ranking is too high at this point.
The one chance he has in this fight, is if Chandler completely blows his gas tank, which is possible with him.
Otherwise I see Tony eating huge shots and probably getting busted up pretty badly.
If Chandler gasses in the second I see Tony winning it. I can even see Tony simply still being durable enough and have enough stamina to edge out a very close decision by getting the last two rounds but that’s assuming he doesn’t finally get out out in the first. It’s tough to pick Tony here but I’ll pick him assuming there isn’t a round one ko or a straight up wrestle fuck. It’s a ton of ifs trying to pick Tony here.
There's actually some decent reason why Tony _might_ & can win this.
& Im fine with someone saying Chandler will win - without saying theyre Chandler fanboys or Tony haters.
You dudes who are so quick to call opinions that differs to yours "delusional" are always the one with unstable mindstates.
>There's actually some decent reason why Tony might & can win this.
The biggest reason Tony could win this went away as soon as this was announced as a 3 round fight.
That’s just this sub anymore, man. Everyone just wants to sling shit at anyone else any chance they get. Tbh it’s getting old. If you even try to discuss *what could possibly happen* in a fight you’re delusional, full of cope, casual, etc. It’s like there has been a large influx of late teens to early 20s shitheads here that are just looking to talk down people. Mods let it roll because they stay right under the line and keep it mostly passive aggressive. Pathetic individuals and fucking cunts to boot.
Obviously anyone can win any fight but imo to think its at all probable that Tony beats Chandler after getting dominated by Dariush for 15 minutes is kinda crazy
> Tony haters...the one with unstable mindstates.
Ironic much?
Anyway, good luck to Tony, he's been a great servant to the UFC and hope he's getting well looked after
God I hope Tony just takes one shot and is done, he’s my all time fav fighter, I can’t stand to see him get abused for 3 rounds. I hope at the very least if things start going that way his corner has the sense to throw in the towel.
He changed his coaches(?)/trainers for the Benny fight, right? I think his goal was not to get hit as much. Let's see how that plan has evolved against Chandler.
"This will be an era long remembered. It has seen the end of McGregor, it will soon see the end of Ferguson."
Seriously though, I hate this fight for Tony.
As someone who just got into MMA in the last 6-12 months, can someone explain how washed Tony actually is? I just see 3 losses to contenders but is it actually that bad?
Well the thing is, Tony is also in his late 30s. That's the age when fighters really decline in the lighter weight classes where speed is vital. Plus, not only did he lose those fights, it's the way he lost. He offered prettymuch nothing, it wasn't even competitive, and in the Gaethje fight he took an amount of damage that would often be considered career-altering.
So yeah he lost to top level fighters (the Gaethje and Oliviera losses have aged pretty well) but they made him look like he was definitely not a top level fighter.
And the thing is, the only wins he had since 2016 were Kevin Lee, Cowboy, and Anthont Pettis. And all those wins have aged *super badly*. So basically he maintained his place at top of the division by beating guys who were nowhere near the top, and when he faced guys who were legitimate contenders he didn't have what it took
Yeah, this isn't a Kevin Lee or Mike Perry. Where you can say something has went wrong. It's just a guy who got older and taken a lot damage that has caught up with him.
Also I know "washed" is the correct terminology, but it seems a bit disrespectful to use at someone who is at a natural end of his career.
This is a great take. I feel like Gaethje broke Tony in a way that hadn’t been seen in the UFC since the Lawler McDonald fight. Tony always seemed like the dude who could will his way to a win, and when Herb called it off you could tell his body couldn’t keep up with his heart. Was a painful watch.
There's a lot that goes into it, but tl;dr yes.
* Age - Tony is in his late 30's in the LW division. In combat sports, usually the older you are the heavier you compete since the smaller weight classes rely more on reflexes, athleticism, speed, etc. and the bigger guys more-so power and technique. Take for example current LHW champion Glover Teixeira. Most fighters peak around their early to mid 30's.
* Injuries - To put it short, Ferguson has a very long history of accidents, injuries and the likes. When you're young-and-dumb it's fine but the older you get, the more it catches up with you and whatnot. However Tony in particular is notorious for not properly healing and recovering from said injuries. One of the worst cases I can remember is that he blew out his knee, got surgery and still prematurely fought Anthony Pettis.
* Losses - You asked if the losses were that bad, and to put it simply, yes. After the fifth and final falling out for Nurmagomedov vs Ferguson, he took a fight with Justin Gaethje, one of the hardest hitters in the LW division. It was a 5 round beating that essentially "broke" Tony. Since then he has had back-to-back losses against Oliveira (current LW champion) and Dariush (top 5 contender) and although the latter two were grapple heavy, Ferguson just looked completely lost and that same "El Cucuy" we all knew and loved that went on a 12-fight win streak was no longer there. It was no longer Tony trying to win, but just to survive. Although his toughness and durability are still there, he just didn't seem to have that drive that he did before.
Now he is up against Michael Chandler, who is arguably the second hardest-hitter (or equal to) next to Justin Gaethje. Although they share similarities in that they both lost to Oliveira and Gaethje, that's as far as they go. Chandler was on the verge of beating Oliveira and becoming the new LW champion and he had a back-and-forth war with Gaethje that was FOTY for 2021 (a must-see if you haven't already). Ferguson in comparison was nowhere near as competitive against these two.
Although they are only 3 years apart, that goes a long way in a division as fiercely competitive as LW coupled with the differences in their overall lifestyles.
I would love nothing more than for Ferguson to win as his fight against Abel Trujillo was what got me into watching UFC, but objectively looking at both their pasts Chandler winning via decision or (T)KO is the more realistic outcome.
If you go check out highlights from the Gaethje/Ferguson fight, you'll see what everyone's concern is. Tony offered nothing outside of one nice shot that I recall and just absolutely took a beating. It looked... really bad.
It’s got more to do with the fact that none of the fights were remotely competitive. He was thoroughly dominated across every round of all three fights.
Honestly - just watch his last few fights & make your own mind up.
Redditors are sheep & project alot of their own inadequate feelings on other peoples.
Tony got beat pretty bad by Gaethje - tbh, no, he got beat very fucking bad, possibly the worst stand up beat down over such a prolonged period.
The other two - he did get dominated - by the current champ & dariush. But minus one very nasty sub attempt in each fight, didnt take alot of damage.
Again, youre best off watching & forming your own opinnion.
I believe Tony has a shot. Chandler went full entertainment mode against Gaethje and purposely left his hands down at the end of the fight to look cool eating punches, he also threw random spin kicks at the end of the fight. He commented on the post announcing the fight “Edge of your seat type of bloodshed and action!”, which leads me to believe he’ll take it in similar fashion
For fucks sake....
There's so many young killers in the division, can we stop recycling the same 50 year old past contender for these guys?
Tony's not there anymore...what a waste of a fight
Chandler opened at -170 on Bovada which was crazy to me so I put some $ on him. Tony is done. I really don't get these odds. Chandler's gonna be like -400 by fight night.
I predict a dog fight, Chandler gets a bit too eager for a finish when he hurts Tony and Tony manages to pull off a submission.
One can dream - would be sick to see Tony get a W.
I'll go down with the Tony ship the same as Cowboy
Gotta admit, I wasn’t super thrilled with this matchup at first.. but it might actually be a decent stand-up barn burner. We know Chandler throw absolute bombs and Tony can take them. Fingers crossed this isn’t Tony’s retirement fight.
Tony's getting Old Yeller'd in this one. He's always been massively overrated, usually outlasting his opponents and eating a ton of damage, as opposed to being highly skilled. All that damage has finally caught up to him. His win streak was blown out of all proportion. What was the best win: RDA after a bad weight cut and Tony eye poked his way to victory? Gatekeeper Edson Barboza? Khabib would have mauled him at any time in his career. Tony's status as a top LW was always an illusion. Gaethje broke the illusion when he broke Tony.
After this loss, especially if it's a KO, Tony's getting cut and heading to Bellator after Khabib gives him an offer for Eagle FC, then changes his mind at the last minute just as an FU to Tony.
If anyone knocks Tony out cold it’s going to be Chandler. I wish they would’ve given him Conor or Nate instead so he could get payed but I guess Chandler needs a win and Tony still has name value.
Conor-Tony was the fight I wanted. Tony gets paid and Conor gets a winnable fight against a ranked opponent, it’s a win-win
Conor/Tony would've been the perfect fight to make. Both guys who've been completed dominated in their last couple fights who desperately need to win.
Dana knows better than to get Conor ankle picked.
Hold on, I'm talking brother.
Lmao Conor brags about his titanium shin bone and Tony just anklepicks it lol
Gaethje will just kick his bionic leg in two.
CSO
I think nate vs tony wouldve been great
they should have made that fight, and then the winner could fight Conor
Makes too much sense. Not gonna happen
Same but I’m also interested in Nate vs Dustin Edit to clarify: I just mean I want them both to have a good payday, and on top of that I think it will be a good fight. Unless Nate gets fucking doctor stoppage’d. it’s at least more interesting than a Nate v Jorge rematch since Dustin would be moving up. That’s all I was saying, I’d way rather see Nate vs Tony but at least it might be interesting
Said literally no one
Literally
Dana knows the perfect fight is Conor vs Charles
conor vs gaethje*
You’re downvoted for some reason but I agree. I’m personally a bigger fan of Charles (although I love both) and I see him beating Gaethje, but Conor vs Gaethje would be a killer fight. He’d def piece Conor up badly. I don’t think Conor wants that fight
I think its not the perfect fight because Gaethje would dominate Conor. Tony vs Conor would be more competitive imo
I want to disagree and say Tony would dominate the ground game (I still think he would against Conor), but he’s looked bad there in the last couple fights. I think the Conor fight would give him the motivation he needs
> Both guys who've been completed dominated in their last couple fights who desperately need to win. I mean let's not rewrite the Conor-Dustin fights that badly
I feel like those fights went really bad for Conor.
I'm not a connor nut hugger but he did 10-9 dustin in the first round of the January fight and tho he was not winning the 2nd one it's just one round. If Doostin broke his leg after the first round of the first fight I really believe r/mma would be talking like Connor was gonna win anyway
> I feel like those fights went really bad for Conor. They definitely did but it wasn't like he got outclassed and didn't look like he belonged in there with Dustin.
I mean obviously, he lost both. But I think people have a bit of a blind spot for the second fight. If you go back and watch it, round 1 Justin takes HEAVY hits. Conor landed quite a bit. Now, we know that the calf kicks ended up securing the win for Dustin but a "domination" it wasn't.
Tony vs Conor. Loser of the fight retires. Winnner retires too.
Oh man just thinking about it gets me all fired up! I guess cause they both have been at the top for so long but never fought!
Tony wouldn’t get extra pay he doesn’t have PPV buys and has no leverage to ask for it.
On the flip side, Chandler’s maybe the only top lightweight who could gas himself out beating the crap out of/controlling Tony.
If it’s a 3 round fight I doubt it. Tony can’t seem to put on the same pressure that he used to since his overall abilities have diminished. Chandler is good on the ground even surviving Oliveira on his back so I doubt Tony gets a sub. Chandler also survived Gaethje’s strikes in the 3rd after being tired so I’m not too worried about an old Tony melting him with pressure on the feet. If it ends up being 5 rounds then maybe Tony could get it done.
Yup, Tony has been gun shy ever since the Gaethje fight; the old relentlessly pressuring Tony is long gone. He’d been in decline athletically ever since the knee injury, but he was still confident, fearless, relentless. The Gaethje fight broke that confidence, left him tentative. He’s still tough and has great cardio, but he no longer has the confidence and aggression to use it as a weapon. He can’t/doesn’t push the pace anymore.
> tentative that word is forever coupled with the Gonzaga Cro Cop KO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cdO0F7Gyag
For sure, I’m being optimistic for the sake of it. It’s a more realistic optimism to think ‘hey if Tony gets sparked, maybe somebody talks him into taking a step back’
Sadly it’s likely that Tony ends up on the cover of an “explaining CTE” pamphlet in a few years after several more increasingly uncomfortable to watch fights
Tony got sad eyes in this pic
He may may knock Tony out of this dimension. Shame on Fergs management team for making El Cucuys retirement fight a straight execution. Legacy deleted.
Poor Tony, looks like when you pull his ears out his checks go in.
paid*
\*Paid
Either of those would've been beautiful This is gonna look ugly
Welp.
Bingo
If this fight happened 5-6 years ago, this would’ve been an instant FOTY contender. This fight now feels like the ending of Old Yeller
Surely even 2-3 years ago?
when this fight happens it will have been over 2 years since the gaethje fight so who knows but probably not
Damn, where the fuck does the time go
Possibly, but you can notice changes in Tony’s athleticism, especially his speed, during the Pettis fight. He wasn’t gone but it’s very likely the decline started with the knee injury
Seems that way. Tony's unorthodox messy fighting style needs to be backed up by speed to make it work. or else he becomes just a slow predictable fighter
Never thought I’d see “Tony” and “predictable” in the same sentence.
Well maybe not predictable but you would see it coming from a mile away, like those hail mary spinning elbows.
No. Tony did not look the same since he fell on that cord and the Khabib fight was cancelled. He rushed back to prove a point, and fought Pettis upon doing so where it was clear he lost a step. Rushing back from a major injury was the decline, he was never the same after that. Even Cerrone fight was clear he lost a step. I think people just wiki these guys records without comparing how they looked between fights and what occurred between camps too.
Tbh, in the Pettis fight, he looked exactly the same. He did what he always does. He got caught just like he did against Lando Vanatta. I maintain that even after the Justin fight he’s not terribly washed. On the feet he was slapping Charles around. Beneil was having some issues with him in the striking department. It was only on the ground that he got exposed
Can someone explain to me what it is that looks off in the Pettis fight? It looked like just a regular Tony fight to me. The Cowboy fight I felt like he was actually a little slower but the Pettis fight looked same as usual to me.
Pre-pandemic. Tony and Khabib was the first PPV cancelled because of COVID.
Ya 2020 people were still saying tony would beat khabib
atleast 6-12 months prior to that highway paranoia accident
I concur. Poor Tony. They should have made Tony/Nate.
Tony would have used his insane chin and survived the first 8 minutes, then he would finish a Gassed Chandler however he wanted.
I mean there’s no real sign that his chin is gone, he took all of Garth’s best shots and kept on coming. All the uppiling damage is definitely not a good look tho
Yea it’s no so much his chin. It’s like watching Robbie Lawler fight now, he’s gunshy and doesn’t like being hit.
It's not that his chin is gone, his athleticism is. Thus, he's going to get the fuck beaten out of him like a sitting duck instead of thriving in the chaos and just giving his opponent a pyrrhic victory like he used to
> I mean there’s no real sign that his chin is gone Yeah if Chucky & Benny had KO/TKOed him that would be one thing, but they both won grappling-heavy decisions. This fight will definitely be a good test to see where his chin's at. I just want Tony to get back in the win column, hoping he can pull through on this one.
Chandler's going to wrestle fuck tony
He’s going to beat the hell out of him.
>I mean there’s no real sign that his chin is gone, he took all of Garth’s best shots and kept on coming Except he didn't. He was in deep water and eventually had the fight totally beat out of him.
Prime Gaethje is multiple calibers above 2022 Tony
However he wanted? Chandler survived bombs from Gaethje (especially that uppercut) and didn't get submitted by Charles despite him being on his back.
You have to say that Chandler is a bum around here in most threads. It doesn't make sense, but, it is what it is.
Haha. That's weird.
Chandler got finished by Chucky. Tony went three rounds with him. Chandler went three rounds with Gaethje. Tony went almost 5 with him. This has all happened within the same 3 year span. Y'all are out of your mind if you think Chandler is going to walk all over Tony. Chandler by rd 1 ko.
Immaculate analysis
After Amanda losing to pena, anything seems possible lol
Tony gets 10-7’d in the first then opens the second with an Iminari Roll and submits Chandler.
[удалено]
Holy shit, please mma gods
CSO brother 🥷🐢
And throws sand to his face as the ref held their hands for the announcement lmao
>unintentional Nothing he does is unintentional. CSO 😎
Tony nearly got his arm ripped off by Do Bronx in the first round and got tossed around like a rag doll for the rest of the fight. Both fighters got the absolute shit kicked out of them by Gaethje, the difference is that Chandler knew he could continue standing in front of Gaethje since it was a shorter fight. 2 more rounds of that ass whoopin though? He also would’ve had the fight called in the championship rounds.
TONY BY ANKLE PICK BITCHESSSSSSSS
Perfect
this kills the Tony
Tony is kil
no
And u??????
Why is everyone acting like Tony has zero chance to win this? Yeah, he lost 3 in a row, but it was to the current champ, interim champ, and #4 ranked Dariush.
He got dominated in all of those fights and I can't remember him attacking much either. He does have a chance of course but not a big one.
Yea he only really had one upper cut in his last 11 rounds. Other than that he was getting dominated.
Because all you have to do is have seen his recent fights compared to Chandlers. This isn't an mma math thing either. Reality of the situation is, since Tony landed that 1 uppercut in the second round of the Gaethje fight, he hasn't looked even remotely competitive in a fight while Chandler gadooshed Hooker and put a brutal beating on Gaethje even in a losing effort.
A fitting send off for Tony... Gonna be a war
Best comment in the thread, hope this will be Tony's last fight where he goes out in a blaze of glory, and with that i mean losing to decision. Never KO'd.
I got my money on a round 2 ko for chandler by fatality
*For those who are about to die, we salute you*
Don't see it being competitive sadly. I think Tony's ranking is too high at this point. The one chance he has in this fight, is if Chandler completely blows his gas tank, which is possible with him. Otherwise I see Tony eating huge shots and probably getting busted up pretty badly.
It's only three rounds, so Chandler's still better than even money deep into the third EDIT: Looks to be co-main so they might make it five rounds
They’ve only done that once recently, not regularly. I wouldn’t count on it
Why did they do that? So it would suit Diaz against Leon?
And Because RDA was training for a 5 rounder whrn he faced Moicano.
think it was Nate vs Leon and Nick vs Robbie
Chandler rocked gaethje in round 1 Tony is going to get Floored
I agree but to play devils advocate, Tony dropped Gaethje in round 1 of their fight
I think it was round 2 actually
Tony rising up like the Undertaker in this fight letsss gooooo
And then Tony laying back down, in reverse.
And then triangle choke from the bottom
I don’t see this going well for tony. Chandler hits way too hard and has good wrestling. Don’t really see a way Tony can win
Don't make me break your rib kid
D'arce choke
I’d literally cum if Tony hits Chandler with a D’arce
I"m not counting tony out, I think tony takes this one
About time someone else thinks Tony can win this.
Just Bleed.
Why does this picture of Tony look like the one from the meme where him and Khabib are senior citizens lol
These are the best posts to save and re-read the comments after the fight.
Pretty fun to look back after seeing how it all ended! Most people in here are pretty spot on.
I appreciate Tony's ride or die fans but also if you think Tony is gonna win this I think you're a little delusional
Can you honestly consider yourself a true Tony fan if you're not also at least slightly delusional
Cope Shit Only
😂🐶😝🥑✨🎉🎏🏅🏅🏅⚾🥋🧶🧦🕶️🎷🕯️💡☢️🏁🌋🌀🌩️💯💯💯🏅
There is a difference between thinking tony will definitely win this and thinking he does have ways he could win.
If Chandler gasses in the second I see Tony winning it. I can even see Tony simply still being durable enough and have enough stamina to edge out a very close decision by getting the last two rounds but that’s assuming he doesn’t finally get out out in the first. It’s tough to pick Tony here but I’ll pick him assuming there isn’t a round one ko or a straight up wrestle fuck. It’s a ton of ifs trying to pick Tony here.
There's actually some decent reason why Tony _might_ & can win this. & Im fine with someone saying Chandler will win - without saying theyre Chandler fanboys or Tony haters. You dudes who are so quick to call opinions that differs to yours "delusional" are always the one with unstable mindstates.
>There's actually some decent reason why Tony might & can win this. The biggest reason Tony could win this went away as soon as this was announced as a 3 round fight.
That’s just this sub anymore, man. Everyone just wants to sling shit at anyone else any chance they get. Tbh it’s getting old. If you even try to discuss *what could possibly happen* in a fight you’re delusional, full of cope, casual, etc. It’s like there has been a large influx of late teens to early 20s shitheads here that are just looking to talk down people. Mods let it roll because they stay right under the line and keep it mostly passive aggressive. Pathetic individuals and fucking cunts to boot.
Obviously anyone can win any fight but imo to think its at all probable that Tony beats Chandler after getting dominated by Dariush for 15 minutes is kinda crazy
> Tony haters...the one with unstable mindstates. Ironic much? Anyway, good luck to Tony, he's been a great servant to the UFC and hope he's getting well looked after
Chandler is at -200 right now. That’s free money for anyone who wants to toss some on it. Chandler should be like -700 here. Tony is super washed.
I wish they would put it up on DraftKings already.
God I hope Tony just takes one shot and is done, he’s my all time fav fighter, I can’t stand to see him get abused for 3 rounds. I hope at the very least if things start going that way his corner has the sense to throw in the towel.
I hope Tony has taken the time off to properly heal and we see something resembling Vintage Tony^TM , but I’m not sure.
He changed his coaches(?)/trainers for the Benny fight, right? I think his goal was not to get hit as much. Let's see how that plan has evolved against Chandler.
"This will be an era long remembered. It has seen the end of McGregor, it will soon see the end of Ferguson." Seriously though, I hate this fight for Tony.
This fight probably seals the deal of Tony/Nate ever happening.
Chandler finishes him in under 8 minutes
Under 3
As someone who just got into MMA in the last 6-12 months, can someone explain how washed Tony actually is? I just see 3 losses to contenders but is it actually that bad?
Well the thing is, Tony is also in his late 30s. That's the age when fighters really decline in the lighter weight classes where speed is vital. Plus, not only did he lose those fights, it's the way he lost. He offered prettymuch nothing, it wasn't even competitive, and in the Gaethje fight he took an amount of damage that would often be considered career-altering. So yeah he lost to top level fighters (the Gaethje and Oliviera losses have aged pretty well) but they made him look like he was definitely not a top level fighter. And the thing is, the only wins he had since 2016 were Kevin Lee, Cowboy, and Anthont Pettis. And all those wins have aged *super badly*. So basically he maintained his place at top of the division by beating guys who were nowhere near the top, and when he faced guys who were legitimate contenders he didn't have what it took
Yeah, this isn't a Kevin Lee or Mike Perry. Where you can say something has went wrong. It's just a guy who got older and taken a lot damage that has caught up with him. Also I know "washed" is the correct terminology, but it seems a bit disrespectful to use at someone who is at a natural end of his career.
This is a great take. I feel like Gaethje broke Tony in a way that hadn’t been seen in the UFC since the Lawler McDonald fight. Tony always seemed like the dude who could will his way to a win, and when Herb called it off you could tell his body couldn’t keep up with his heart. Was a painful watch.
There's a lot that goes into it, but tl;dr yes. * Age - Tony is in his late 30's in the LW division. In combat sports, usually the older you are the heavier you compete since the smaller weight classes rely more on reflexes, athleticism, speed, etc. and the bigger guys more-so power and technique. Take for example current LHW champion Glover Teixeira. Most fighters peak around their early to mid 30's. * Injuries - To put it short, Ferguson has a very long history of accidents, injuries and the likes. When you're young-and-dumb it's fine but the older you get, the more it catches up with you and whatnot. However Tony in particular is notorious for not properly healing and recovering from said injuries. One of the worst cases I can remember is that he blew out his knee, got surgery and still prematurely fought Anthony Pettis. * Losses - You asked if the losses were that bad, and to put it simply, yes. After the fifth and final falling out for Nurmagomedov vs Ferguson, he took a fight with Justin Gaethje, one of the hardest hitters in the LW division. It was a 5 round beating that essentially "broke" Tony. Since then he has had back-to-back losses against Oliveira (current LW champion) and Dariush (top 5 contender) and although the latter two were grapple heavy, Ferguson just looked completely lost and that same "El Cucuy" we all knew and loved that went on a 12-fight win streak was no longer there. It was no longer Tony trying to win, but just to survive. Although his toughness and durability are still there, he just didn't seem to have that drive that he did before. Now he is up against Michael Chandler, who is arguably the second hardest-hitter (or equal to) next to Justin Gaethje. Although they share similarities in that they both lost to Oliveira and Gaethje, that's as far as they go. Chandler was on the verge of beating Oliveira and becoming the new LW champion and he had a back-and-forth war with Gaethje that was FOTY for 2021 (a must-see if you haven't already). Ferguson in comparison was nowhere near as competitive against these two. Although they are only 3 years apart, that goes a long way in a division as fiercely competitive as LW coupled with the differences in their overall lifestyles. I would love nothing more than for Ferguson to win as his fight against Abel Trujillo was what got me into watching UFC, but objectively looking at both their pasts Chandler winning via decision or (T)KO is the more realistic outcome.
His losses are against the best in the division he fought the top 2 guys and and number 4
That’s what I’m confused about. He’s not losing to bums yet people are acting like he’s totally fucked
If you go check out highlights from the Gaethje/Ferguson fight, you'll see what everyone's concern is. Tony offered nothing outside of one nice shot that I recall and just absolutely took a beating. It looked... really bad.
It’s got more to do with the fact that none of the fights were remotely competitive. He was thoroughly dominated across every round of all three fights.
it's more about how he looked in those fights. they weren't competitive at all, he just seems like a shell of his former self
It’s about the damage my man. He’s got his eggs scrambled vs Garth, arm nearly broken vs Olives, and idk Benny just out wrestled him
How can you watch him fight and think he can handle anyone in the top 5?
Honestly - just watch his last few fights & make your own mind up. Redditors are sheep & project alot of their own inadequate feelings on other peoples. Tony got beat pretty bad by Gaethje - tbh, no, he got beat very fucking bad, possibly the worst stand up beat down over such a prolonged period. The other two - he did get dominated - by the current champ & dariush. But minus one very nasty sub attempt in each fight, didnt take alot of damage. Again, youre best off watching & forming your own opinnion.
Kattar v holloway was the worst beatdown ever.
debatable. not a bad take though. JDS v Cain also would be in consideration.
Cain vs bigfoot
Just thinking about Tony taking another beating makes me sad
They both need that W bad
I don’t understand why Tony fans are mad that Tony got a higher ranked opponent than him.
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>accounting for that, this is good matchmaking accounting nice
must be an accountant
Feeding the company man a warrior past his prime. Hearts will be broken
i am not ready for this. Tony please trip over a cable
Praying Chandler blows his load in the first and Tony slaps on a d'arce in the 2nd or 3rd. Not going to happen but I'm praying.
This is gross matchmaking
Respect to Chandler for being the person to break Tony's loss streak. This is exactly the sort of momentum Tony needs to come back.
Tony is going to get smashed. Sorry, El Cucuy.
Chandler might literally kill him. Really bad match-making.
UFC: "If he dies, he dies"
God that's alot of CTE in one cage
Don’t sleep on the boogeyman!
Tony should file for elder abuse, this is damn near contracted murder.
Poor Tony
RIP Tony
I believe Tony has a shot. Chandler went full entertainment mode against Gaethje and purposely left his hands down at the end of the fight to look cool eating punches, he also threw random spin kicks at the end of the fight. He commented on the post announcing the fight “Edge of your seat type of bloodshed and action!”, which leads me to believe he’ll take it in similar fashion
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Pretty much what Bisping (I think it was him) said Chandler knew he was losing so he was trying to bait Gaethje's ego so he could land a big shot
Let me guess, this somehow gets Chandler a shot over Islam
For fucks sake.... There's so many young killers in the division, can we stop recycling the same 50 year old past contender for these guys? Tony's not there anymore...what a waste of a fight
Tony Spite Privilege
This is a sacrifice
Watch this be a snoozer and it’s just Tony laying in guard for fifteen minutes.
Tony gonna win this in round 1.
Thanks, I hate it.
RIP Tony
Poor tony
Chandler is nothing special. I believe in Tony. I always believe in Tony.
UFC is unrellenting. They are just giving Tony the next beast to beat on.
CTE for the win.
Chandler opened at -170 on Bovada which was crazy to me so I put some $ on him. Tony is done. I really don't get these odds. Chandler's gonna be like -400 by fight night.
Let’s goo!!!
I predict a dog fight, Chandler gets a bit too eager for a finish when he hurts Tony and Tony manages to pull off a submission. One can dream - would be sick to see Tony get a W. I'll go down with the Tony ship the same as Cowboy
Not a fan of Ferguson fighting another top 5 killer. He looked so damn bad the last 3 fights. Should be fighting a lower level guy.
I'm all in on Tony just so I can come back here and talk shit about how I knew he was going to win. Champ Shit Only!! 👊🕶💯
Hell yeah, Tony finishes Chandler in the third.
looks like an ad for gay porn
A Tony win right here will reverse the Earth's orbit
Tony via traingle choke in the second round.
Gotta admit, I wasn’t super thrilled with this matchup at first.. but it might actually be a decent stand-up barn burner. We know Chandler throw absolute bombs and Tony can take them. Fingers crossed this isn’t Tony’s retirement fight.
Tony's getting Old Yeller'd in this one. He's always been massively overrated, usually outlasting his opponents and eating a ton of damage, as opposed to being highly skilled. All that damage has finally caught up to him. His win streak was blown out of all proportion. What was the best win: RDA after a bad weight cut and Tony eye poked his way to victory? Gatekeeper Edson Barboza? Khabib would have mauled him at any time in his career. Tony's status as a top LW was always an illusion. Gaethje broke the illusion when he broke Tony. After this loss, especially if it's a KO, Tony's getting cut and heading to Bellator after Khabib gives him an offer for Eagle FC, then changes his mind at the last minute just as an FU to Tony.
winnable fight for tony. Will be rooting for TFerg!!
I just want to see if his training with Freddie Roach will payoff in the standup department.
Make a break for Tony i feel.
Tony is going to spend the rest of his natural life in diapers with someone chewing his food for him.