5 times Tony Ferguson beat an opponent with a chokehold submission in the UFC
UFC 273 is right around the corner, but UFC 274 is almost ready with its match card and it promises to be an amazing day. Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje are ready for a spectacular main event for the undisputed lightweight championship, while Rose Namajunas will also defend her women's strawweight title in the co-main event. Former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson and former Bellator MMA champion Michael Chandler have agreed on personal terms to have a fight at UFC 274 and if all goes well, we have a thriller waiting for us.
Chael Sonnen has said that Ferguson’s best days are not behind him, and that there is still more than enough to watch out for when ‘El Cucuy’ enters the ring. Of course, Chael Sonnen has been wrong many times before but there’s still more than enough to watch out for when Tony Ferguson’s name is on the match card.
'El Cucuy' has a large repertoire of moves - striking, grappling, submissions - but above all he possesses the knack for finishing an opponent. While there is always the satisfaction of a brutal dogfight, some of Ferguson’s most spectacular victories have ended with his opponent gasping for air and giving up. This experience can be very visceral when you see it unfold on your screen.
El Cucuy is lean, mean, unpredictable and a monster in the octagon. If there is a convincing way to win a match then it’s best to let Ferguson show it to us. Let's count 5 times Tony Ferguson made his opponent tap out:
#5. Tony Ferguson vs Lando Vannata UFC Fight Night: McDonald vs. Lineker - Fight of the Night
Tony Ferguson vs Khabib Nurmagomedov has been a cursed fixture in the MMA world, and this is one of those dream matches that has no chance of happening now that 'The Eagle' has retired. This was one of those times when Ferguson's match against Nurmagomedov could not be confirmed, so 'El Cucuy' found himself facing a UFC debutante as a replacement opponent.
Vannata was undefeated and on a 8 fight wins streak in his MMA career and as luck would have it, his first match in the UFC happened to be against one of the toughest fighters in the division. Ferguson humbled Vannata as he outclassed the rookie and handed him the first loss of his professional career.
Vannata's inferior conditioning got the better of him as the match progressed. He held his own for a few rounds until he got tired and Ferguson's superior cardio helped him in the brawl that followed. They went back and forth for a while until 'El Cucuy' got the opportunity to pull a guillotine choke on Vannata, which he quickly transitioned into a brado choke to finish the match. This would be the first of many chokes that he’d unleash on his unwitting opponents while competing in the UFC