Michael Johnson calls for Tony Ferguson rematch, offers a chance to ‘redeem’ himself
UFC lightweight staple Michael Johnson has recently gone on record calling out former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson, which would be a rematch from their 2012 encounter.
‘The Menace’ made the following post to his Twitter account yesterday:
Yo @TonyFergusonXT not sure if you’re still in the big game, but if so and you want to come back to 55 I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself. 😎 or we can do it 170 also!! Let’s give the fans what they want!!!
— Michael Johnson (@Menace155) January 13, 2023
“Yo Tony Ferguson not sure if you’re still in the big game, but if so and you want to come back to 55 (155 lbs) I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself. Or we can do it (at) 170 also!! Let’s give the fans what they want!!!”
This would be a very intriguing rematch. Johnson became the first man to defeat Ferguson inside the UFC, and was the only man to defeat Ferguson through the former interim champion’s first 16 octagon bouts.
Ferguson was 3-0 in the UFC at the time they fought, going in with a record of 13-2, while Johnson was 2-2 in the UFC and 10-6 as a professional. This was a classic example of records don’t mean much. Ferguson was a sizeable favorite going in, though Johnson would handily out-box him to the universal 30-27 scorecard.
Ferguson broke his arm in this fight, and wouldn’t return until 17 months later, where he wouldn’t lose again for nearly seven years.
Johnson on the other hand has had a much rockier road, though he boasts wins over another interim champion in Dustin Poirier (KO), as well as Edson Barboza (UD). Barboza is 25-3 as a professional kickboxer with 22 knockouts; he’s one of the most dangerous strikers in MMA history that boasts black belts in both Muay Thai and Taekwondo, and Johnson battered him, winning all three rounds of that contest as well.
We were supposed to see this rematch go down at UFC 196 in 2016, however, Johnson was forced out of the bout with an injury.
Following his 12-fight win streak spanning from 2013 to 2019, Ferguson has since lost his last five-straight fights to the likes of Justin Gaethje (TKO), Charles Oliveira (UD), Beneil Dariush (UD), Michael Chandler (KO), and Nate Diaz (guillotine choke).
Johnson on the other hand went 2-1 last year in 2022 following a four-fight losing skid from 2019 to 2021, with many believing he should’ve went 3-0 last year as his split decision defeat to Jamie Mullarkey in July was heavily disputed.
These two also have a number of common opponents, six to be exact.
Both lost to Nate Diaz and Beneil Dariush, though again, Johnson’s split decision defeat to Dariush was incredibly controversial, both were TKO’d by Justin Gaethje, and both beat Danny Castillo, Edson Barboza, and Gleison Tibau.
It’s quite surprising, neither man defeated someone the other lost to, they either both beat the fighters listed above, or they both lost to them.
Nonetheless, with Ferguson on the decline and Johnson looking to continue his career resurgence, who wouldn’t want to see this epic rematch?
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