"That would be a sick fight" - Sean O'Malley shares initial thoughts on rumored Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson fight

Tony Ferguson (left), Sean O'Malley (center), Michael Chander (right) [Credits: @mikechandlermma, @sugaseanmma via Instagram]

Sean O'Malley recently gave his take on how a potential fight between UFC lightweights Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson would play out.

Ecstatic about the matchup, 'Suga' picked Chandler to get the job done against Ferguson. In a recent episode of his podcast, O'Malley said:

"Dude I feel like Michael Chandler will f**k Tony Ferguson up in the first round. That would be sick, maybe not in the first round, I take that back but I don't know, maybe yes. It would be a sick fight. Yeah, Tony Ferguson is just f****** there, so it'll be a sick fight."

Watch the full podcast below:

Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson appear to be on a collision course. Both lightweights are coming off losses in their most recent fights.

Chandler, who made his UFC debut in January 2021, endured a rollercoaster 12 months. He knocked out Dan Hooker in his promotional debut before losing to Charles Oliveira at UFC 262 in a championship bout.

The former Bellator champion finished 2021 with a 'Fight of the Year' contender against Justin Gaethje at UFC 268. Chandler ended up losing to Gaethje via unanimous decision.

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Tony Ferguson is one of the unluckiest fighters in UFC history. A shot at undisputed lightweight gold has repeatedly slipped through the cracks for Ferguson, owing to a number of extraneous circumstances.

Famously, the former interim lightweight champion was scheduled to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov five times during his career. However, the booking fell apart every single time.

After compiling an incredible 12-fight winning streak between 2013 and 2019, 'El Cucuy' lost his next three bouts against Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush.

Tony Ferguson is not human 😱 #UFC256 https://t.co/yAzYH0AIlO

Michael Chandler sends subtle warning to Tony Ferguson

Tony Ferguson recently took to Twitter to slam Michael Chandler. Ferguson downplayed the idea of Chandler wanting to fight Conor McGregor and claimed that the former Bellator champion was avoiding a fight against him.

'El Cucuy' tweeted:

@MikeChandlerMMA @lankywatchesMMA @TheNotoriousMMA There’s My Bitch!!! @MikeChandlerMMA The Brass @danawhite @ufc Relayed Your Message Saying You Would Be Ready For Me April/June. Looks Like Your Trying To Delay That Ass-Whoopin’ I Owe Ya For Cutting In Line Kid- It’s Wrestling Season MF, Man Up- Champ https://t.co/Er26dEMDx6

Chandler replied to the aforementioned tweet and stated that he respects Ferguson. He also claimed that he would beat the former interim champion from "bell to bell" should the fight take place in the near future.

He tweeted:

@TonyFergusonXT @lankywatchesMMA @TheNotoriousMMA @danawhite @ufc Oh Tony. There’s only a handful of guys in this game I truly respect...you’re one of them. Only because of your tenure, not your stature or your current presence in the division. I’ll beat you from bell to bell. Pray for a merciful ref. We shall see if this fight happens.

This isn't the first time Tony Ferguson and Michael Chandler have butted heads. Their rivalry stemmed from when Ferguson called out Chandler for enjoying "Dana White privilege," alluding to preferential treatment from the UFC brass.

During the UFC 262 press conference, Ferguson criticized Chandler for receiving a title opportunity despite having just one UFC fight on his resume.

Watch the clip below:

Tony Ferguson to Michael Chandler: “You got Dana White privilege." What a line. #UFC262
https://t.co/HRpwDo1J9C