"That's a f**king toss-up" - Sean O'Malley makes his picks for title fights and Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson at UFC 274
At UFC 274 this weekend, Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje, Rose Namajunas vs. Carla Esparza 2, and Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson will serve as the marquee bouts atop the pay-per-view. Sean O'Malley recently previewed the three fights, which will be underway at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on May 7.
On episode No.185 of the TimboSugarShow, O'Malley discussed the UFC 274 main and co-main events. Assessing the Oliveira-Gaethje matchup, 'Sugar' compared it to this past weekend's Rob Font vs. Marlon Vera fight, saying it's an evenly matched contest.
“We’ve got Charles [Oliveira] vs [Justin] Gaethje. That’s such a hard fight dude. It’s like a similar to 'Chito' [Marlon Vera] vs. Rob [Font]. It’s like I don’t f****ng know… The thing is people crack Charles and then they let him up. Yeah. that’s a f**king toss-up, I don’t even know."
Next, he switched his focus to the Namajunas-Esparza women's strawweight title bout. O'Malley stated that he doesn't see Esparza dethroning Namajunas, citing 'Thug' Rose's improvements since their first fight back in 2014.
Later, O'Malley claimed that Michael Chandler would knock out Tony Ferguson. Ferguson has struggled quite a bit of late and is riding a three-fight losing streak going into his bout with Chandler, who is coming off a decision loss to Justin Gaethje in 2021's 'Fight of the Year'.
Watch the latest edition of the TimboSugarShow below (UFC 274 preview - 49:07):
Michael Chandler reveals his gameplan for Tony Ferguson fight
Sean O'Malley's prediction may come true as Michael Chandler expects to outclass Tony Ferguson at UFC 274. Chandler recently sat down for an interview with Morning Kombat and had this to say about his upcoming bout against 'El Cucuy':
“I think I outclass him [Tony Ferguson] in all facets of mixed martial arts. That's my personal opinion... My confidence in my skill set, my confidence in my preparation is second to none and I think we go out there and touch gloves and I go out there and look for a finish but in a calculated manner. If the leather starts flying, we'll enjoy that as well."
Watch Michael Chandler's interview with Morning Kombat below:
Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson will be looking to return to winning ways at UFC 274 this weekend. Chandler could find himself back in the title mix with a win, while Ferguson will be eyeing his first victory since 2019.