Tony Ferguson reminds the world that he was the man to bring sports back

Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 Ferguson v Gaethje

Tony Ferguson has reminded fans that he was the one who stepped up and brought sports back to the world when the COVID-19 pandemic first struck.

Ferguson took on Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC 249. The pay-per-view, which went down on May 9th, 2020, was the first sporting event in the United States since the initial government-imposed lockdowns. 'El Cucuy' recently took to Twitter, writing:

"When The Pandemic Hit & Shit Hit The Fan… Remember It Was This🕴Man That Brought🐎Back Sports To The Man.” Write That Down.- Champ ⚔️🕶 -CSO- 🇺🇸🏆🇲🇽 # ‘MericaFuckYeah 🦅 Takin’📝Notes On How To Soar Like An Eagle, Bald🦅Eagle 🥋 # MoarAmericanThanMoast 🤼‍♂️ # All-American 🏎💨🍃

“When The Pandemic Hit & Shit Hit The Fan… Remember It Was This🕴Man That Brought🐎Back Sports To The Man.” Write That Down.- Champ ⚔️🕶 -CSO- 🇺🇸🏆🇲🇽 # ‘MericaFuckYeah 🦅 Takin’📝Notes On How To Soar Like An Eagle, Bald🦅Eagle 🥋 # MoarAmericanThanMoast 🤼‍♂️ # All-American 🏎💨🍃 https://t.co/EYZwdlWJjL

Tony Ferguson was originally scheduled to take on Khabib Nurmagomedov for the undisputed lightweight title at UFC 249. However, the Russian couldn't make it to the United States due to travel restrictions and was forced to pull out. Justin Gaethje stepped in to replace 'The Eagle'.

This was the fifth time a bout between Ferguson and Nurmagomedov had to be scrapped. 'El Cucuy' would've gotten a shot at the champion's lightweight belt had he beaten Gaethje and secured the interim title at UFC 249. Unfortunately, he came up short on the night.

Watch Gaethje and Ferguson's post-fight interviews at UFC 249 below:

Tony Ferguson could have stayed off the card and waited for his title shot. He was riding a 12-fight winning streak at the time and was already the clear-cut No.1 contender. Nevertheless, he decided to take on Justin Gaethje, who is a complete stylistic contrast to the champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

His risk didn't pay off. Ferguson was stopped in the final round of the contest after absorbing some brutal damage throughout the fight. Gaethje was crowned the new interim lightweight champion and went on to fight Nurmagomedov at UFC 254 later that year.

The epic #UFC249 via the super slow-mo Fight Motion camera! 🔥

📺 youtu.be/1LaU5H1jaw4 https://t.co/mgA6dn8UuX

Tony Ferguson is reportedly set to fight Michael Chandler next

Tony Ferguson hasn't competed inside the octagon since UFC 262 last year. The Ultimate Fighter season 13 winner is currently on a three-fight skid. He is coming off consecutive losses to Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush.

At 38, many believe Ferguson is on borrowed time at the top. Once considered the Boogeyman of the 155 lbs division, it has been hard for fans to watch his fall from grace. That said, he still has star power. The perennial lightweight contender draws eyeballs whenever he is in action.

According to a recent report from Ariel Helwani, Michael Chandler is believed to be next in line for Ferguson.

Michael Chandler vs Tony Ferguson being targeted for UFC 274 on May 7th per Ariel Helwani

"Very much looking like May 7th" per Ariel Helwani Spotify Greenroom https://t.co/VaJeaUOQYk

As revealed by Helwani during a recent episode of The Ringer MMA Show on Spotify, a Chandler vs. Ferguson matchup is in the works for UFC 274. The pay-per-view is set to go down on May 7th.

Helwani said:

"It's looking very much like May 7th for Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Chandler."

The section on this fight can be found at 22:10 of the episode below: