Michael Chiesa talks about Tony Ferguson fight in Abu Dhabi, explains why it's "a fight that honestly makes sense"
Michael Chiesa is convinced that his upcoming welterweight clash against Tony Ferguson is an appropriate matchup, given how their respective careers have played out in recent years.
'Maverick' is set to fight the former interim lightweight champion at the UFC Abu Dhabi fight card scheduled for Aug. 3. The card also features Nick Diaz's MMA return against Vicente Luque.
Here lies the issue. Many fans believe that Diaz should've fought Ferguson instead, given both fighters' legendary status among the fanbase. Nevertheless, Chiesa doesn't subscribe to this notion.
According to the former TUF champion, the fact that he, too, has been on a losing streak in recent years like Ferguson makes the matchup all the more valid. In a recent episode of the MMA Hour, the 36-year-old stated:
"There are definitely people sending me messages like, 'Take it easy on him, please let him win.' I'm like, you've got to remember dude, at the end of the day this is still Tony Ferguson. He is not fighting a guy, that is in his 20s on a win streak. He is fighting a guy that's 36 and is 0-3 in his last three fights. It's not like they threw him to the wolves. It's a fight that honestly makes sense."
Catch Michael Chiesa's comments below (8:20):
This is not the first time the UFC has attempted to pit 'Maverick' against 'El Cucuy'. While the pair were slated to duke it out at UFC Fight Night 91 in 2016, a back injury forced Chiesa to withdraw from the contest.
Ferguson is currently on a seven-fight skid and last earned a win back at UFC 238 in 2019 against the now-retired Donald Cerrone. The 40-year-old notably once held a 12-fight win streak in the division with wins against the likes of Anthony Pettis, Kevin Lee, and Rafael dos Anjos, among others.
Michael Chiesa vs. Tony Ferguson: Fight odds
With Michael Chiesa and Tony Ferguson's fight nearly two months out, let's take a look at how the oddsmakers see the bout playing out.
According to FightOdds, Chiesa is the prohibitive favorite for the matchup at -450, with Ferguson as a +350 underdog.
This means that a $100 bet on 'Maverick' will return a payout of $122.22 if he gets the win, while a successful wager of the same amount on Ferguson will provide a more lucrative payout of $450.