Those worried about Tony Ferguson’s health following UFC 274 can breathe easy.
Ferguson shared the Octagon with Michael Chandler on the main card of UFC 274 on May 7. This event emanated from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Many expected a war going into this one and that’s what they got for as long as the fight lasted.
In the first round, both men were swinging and connecting. At times, Chandler looked like he was swinging a bit too wild and out of range. A counter left hand from Ferguson dropped Chandler. This eventually led to “Iron” going for the takedown and scoring.
Ferguson did some damage off his back, slicing his opponent open with elbows. Chandler returned the favor, cutting “El Cucuy” with strikes in top control.
The fight went to the second round and it didn’t last long there. Chandler landed a flush front kick to the jaw of Tony Ferguson. The former interim UFC Lightweight Champion was out cold.
UFC officials had some good news for the media as Ferguson was discharged from a local hospital. He underwent a CT scan and the results were negative (h/t Mike Bohn).
UFC officials tell us CT Scan for Tony Ferguson was NEGATIVE and he's been discharged from a local hospital here in Phoenix. #UFC274
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohn) May 8, 2022
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During the post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White said this was not a make-or-break situation for Ferguson (via BloodyElbow.com).
“Everybody was asking me this week leading up to this fight, ‘Is this a make or break for Tony Ferguson?’ And I said, ‘No.’ He’s still one of the top ten guys in the world. He looked damn good in that first round, but that was a vicious knockout.
“I think what needs to happen now is Tony needs to take some time off after that knockout. But it’s not like, ‘Oh my God, Tony got dominated and looked like he doesn’t even belong here…’
“Tony looked damn good right up until he got caught. And you know, in this game, anybody can get caught with anything.”