At UFC 249, Tony Ferguson will look to win the interim UFC lightweight champion when he takes on Justin Gaethje.
If he’s successful, it won’t be the first time he’s earned the interim title. In October 2017, Ferguson took on Kevin Lee in the UFC 216 main event. A back-and-forth bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas saw Ferguson outlast Lee en route to a third-round triangle choke submission victory.
Ferguson would be granted a chance to unify his interim strap with the vacant undisputed championship. The promotion booked him to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223 in April 2018, however Ferguson was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury. As a result, the UFC stripped Ferguson of his interim title.
Before he faces Gaethje for the interim UFC lightweight championship, relive Ferguson’s UFC 216 victory over Lee in the video above.
UFC 249 takes place May 9 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The main card is expected to stream on pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.
UFC 249 free fight: Relive Tony Ferguson's belt-earning submission of Kevin Lee at UFC 216