"Such a huge fall from grace" - Michael Bisping notes it would be unfortunate if Tony Ferguson loses to Michael Chandler and fans urge him to consider retirement
Michael Bisping believes there's a possibility of Tony Ferguson losing his upcoming fight against Michael Chandler. According to Bisping, fans might urge Ferguson to hang up his gloves if he suffers a fourth consecutive loss inside the octagon. The two lightweights will meet at the UFC 274 pay-per-view on May 7 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
UFC 274 - Lightweights clash ⚔️
Charles Oliveira vs Justin Gaethje
Michael Chandler vs Tony Ferguson
#ufc #UFC274 https://t.co/mcMucanEKY
'The Count' says he understands that Ferguson has hit a rough patch in his career. However, he still loves watching 'El Cucuy' compete inside the octagon. The Englishman praised Ferguson for entertaining fans over the years. He admits it'll deeply sadden him if fans urge the 37-year-old to quit or accept a step-down in competition if he gets dominated and beaten in his next outing.
During a recent episode of his Believe You Me podcast, Bisping stated:
"If he loses four in a row, which he's got a very good chance of doing, let's be honest, he has got a chance of losing to Michael Chandler. But if he loses four in a row and he loses badly then a lot of people are gonna ask for him to start thinking about retirement... which would be sad because it would be such a huge fall from grace."
Watch the podcast below:
Michael Bisping explains how "fan-pleasing" fighting style has taken a toll on Tony Ferguson
Michael Bisping believes time has taken its toll on Tony Ferguson. The former middleweight champion pointed out that at 38 years of age, Ferguson isn't the fighter he once was. His speed and reflexes have slowed down considerably and the damage he has sustained over the years due to his entertaining style of fighting has taken a toll on his body and durability:
"At 38, he's getting on, that's old, 38, for a lightweight as well, right, and I think that's probably got to do with the number of fights, the wear and tear on the body, the damage that he's taken, the fan-pleasing style. And then of course combined with undefeated father time, he's f*****g 38, [and] you can't go on forever you know."
Will Ferguson beat Chandler on May 8? #UFC274 https://t.co/7UcGyma5K8
Both Tony Ferguson and Michael Chandler need to win at UFC 274 if they want to stay relevant as contenders in the lightweight division. While Ferguson is heading into the fight on the back of three devastating losses, Chandler has lost his last two battles inside the cage as well.