Tony Ferguson answers questions from the media at a press conference in 2018.
Tony Ferguson moves to 170lbs, meets Li Jingliang at UFC 279
Former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson is moving up to 170lbs, and he meets welterweight contender Li Jingliang at UFC 279.
UFC president Dana White made the announcement during the UFC 278 post-fight press conference. According to White, Ferguson vs. Jingliang is now a done deal for UFC 279. The event takes place on Saturday, September 10 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ferguson (25-7) was one of the top lightweight contenders for years, and he is still currently ranked in the top 15 at 155lbs. However, at age 38 and having lost his last four straight fights, Ferguson needs to get back into the win column. Back in May at UFC 274, Ferguson lost via front kick KO to Michael Chandler and it was expected he would take some time off after such a tough loss. However, Ferguson has decided to not only return to the Octagon, but he will be doing so on relatively short notice as UFC 279 takes place in just a few weeks.
Jingliang (19-7) is coming off of a brutal KO win over Muslim Salikhov in his last fight at UFC Long Island. That was a huge win for Jingliang as was dominated by Khamzat Chimaev in just one fight prior to that. Getting such a big win over a tough opponent like Salikhov is huge for Jingliang’s career and it has now landed him a high-profile matchup with Ferguson. Even though Ferguson is new to welterweight, it’s still a big fight for Jingliang, and if he gets a victory over a name like Ferguson, it would do a lot for his MMA resume.
As for the betting odds for this fight, we will still have to wait and see what the oddsmakers say, but given Ferguson’s losing skid, one would imagine Jingliang would be favored to win.
Who do you think wins this welterweight bout at UFC 279 between Tony Ferguson and Li Jingliang?
