A lightweight showcase between former title challengers Tony Ferguson and Michael Chandler has been agreed on for UFC 274.
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Chandler vs. Ferguson had been hinted at by UFC President Dana White during a recent Q+A on ESPN+ with Laura Sanko. The fight will take place the same night as the lightweight title matchup between Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira.
Chandler last fought against Gaethje at UFC 268, losing via a unanimous decision in arguably the best fight of 2021. Before that, he had lost his first UFC title shot against Oliveira for the vacant belt at UFC 262. A win over Ferguson could get Chandler back into the lightweight title picture.
Ferguson is looking to snap a three-fight losing skid and hasn't won since defeating Donald Cerrone via doctor's stoppage at UFC 238. He lost to Beneil Dariush in a lopsided bout at UFC 262 after dropping fights to Gaethje and Oliveira in 2020.
Chandler made his UFC debut back at UFC 257 after a long, accomplished career in Bellator. He passed his first UFC test with flying colors, earning a first-round knockout of Dan Hooker.
Ferguson has been a mainstay of the lightweight division and earned the interim title over Kevin Lee at UFC 216. He was slated to face Khabib Nurmagomedov on five different occasions during his career but the fight was canceled due to various circumstances.
The Chandler vs. Ferguson winner will move one step closer to a title shot. UFC 274 takes place on May 7 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ.
What is your prediction for Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson?