There is mutual respect between Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson.
This Saturday night (May 9), Gaethje and Ferguson will trade leather for the interim UFC lightweight title. The 155-pound title bout will headline UFC 249 inside the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
Gaethje Heaps Praise On Ferguson Ahead Of UFC 249
Gaethje vs. Ferguson is expected to bring some bloody violence but there is no beef between the two. In fact, both men were cordial during the UFC 249 conference call and “The Highlight” heaped praise on “El Cucuy” (via BJPenn.com)
“I recognize he gives max effort,” Gaethje said. “The tenacity that he brings to the cage … I’m looking forward to the storm.
“I know that, for one, we get to put paychecks in our own pocket, and we get to put a paycheck in every UFC employee’s pocket that’s gonna work this event. We get to inspire people to not give up right now.
“For me, before I was fighting him and after I fight him, he’s the epitome of an athlete. He loves violence. He loves carnage. And this is a recipe for disaster.”
Gaethje is riding a three-fight winning streak. In that span he’s beaten Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Edson Barboza, and James Vick. All three bouts ended via knockout or TKO in the first round.
If Gaethje wants to extend his streak to four and capture interim gold, he’ll need to be at his best. Ferguson is riding a 12-fight winning streak. “El Cucuy” hasn’t been defeated since May 2012.
