The Film Room: Tony Ferguson
The ordering process for Ultimate Fighting Championship
pay-per-views has changed: UFC 238 is only available on ESPN+ in the
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Former interim Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder Tony Ferguson climbs back in the cage at UFC 238, where he faces Donald Cerrone in a lightweight showcase on Saturday in Chicago. Ferguson may be the best 155-pound fighter in the sport right now, but a string of bizarre injuries and personal problems has limited him to only two appearances in three years. A win over Cerrone figures to put him next in line for a title shot, but at 35 years old and considering his injury history, time appears to be running out.
“El Cucuy” steps into the spotlight in this installment of The Film
Room.
Not only can Ferguson fight out of both stances, but as a true ambidextrous fighter, he manages to hide his stance switches in motion. At the highest levels, most fighters can strike out of both stances, but few can hide the switches in motion and trick their opponents into thinking they are in the other stance before throwing strikes from an unexpected angle from the opposite side. A fighter who can fluidly switch stances in motion creates a variety of attacks from which to choose, which in turn overloads the opponent’s reactions due to all the possibilities. When an orthodox fighter faces an orthodox opponent, he knows what is available to him on offense and defense. However, when an opponent switches to southpaw, it opens a new realm of possibilities. When switching back and forth, opportunities are constantly opening and closing, making this style difficult to read. Ferguson will throw a rear straight while switching to the other stance and then immediately throw a punch from his other hand, which is now the rear. Little tricks like this often go unnoticed, but they can be the deciding factors in a fight and Ferguson has a deep bag of tricks from which to choose.
Ferguson is usually the one to push the pace but he does have good countering instincts, especially against fellow aggressive fighters. His go-to counter is a simple intercepting jab, but he also routinely looks for counter uppercuts down the middle. However, as an aggressive fighter, he takes an aggressive approach to counters. Instead of single precision strikes, Ferguson likes to counter with a full-fledged combo while the opponent is overextended or off-balance to dissuade him from leading.
Ferguson is one of the best strikers in the sport, but with a 14-1 record in the UFC he is also one of the most documented fighters on the roster. That means we have lots of examples of what he historically struggles with, and the more you dissect a fighter, the more openings you will find. He often struggles with aggressive fighters who are willing to get in his face and not allow him to set the pace of the fight. Lando Vannata nearly beat him in his UFC debut by doing so, and Rafael dos Anjos had brief moments of success doing the same.
Ferguson’s biggest problem on defense is his tendency to keep his hands low and drop them even lower when throwing kicks. Far too often, he drops his hands and leans far back at the waist when throwing kicks, and a lot of his opponents have taken advantage of this hole.
Ferguson’s striking prowess may be what got him to the dance, but his equally robust grappling makes him one of the most feared lightweights on the planet. Six of his 14 UFC victories have come by submission, including three of his last five; and he got his start in martial arts through amateur wrestling Something to note about his grappling: his Imanari and Granby roll transitions. Ferguson does not have the best takedown defense or bottom game, so when he gets taken down, he often looks for a Granby roll to escape or reverse position. As for the Imanari rolls, he has not landed many of them successfully, but they further add to his already creative style and give opponents one more weapon about which to worry. Cerrone is also an underrated grappler, but Ferguson’s submission skills and wrestling background give him a slight edge on the ground. Do not be surprised if we see him forego riskier exchanges on the feet to try and win this one on the mat.
Former interim Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder Tony Ferguson climbs back in the cage at UFC 238, where he faces Donald Cerrone in a lightweight showcase on Saturday in Chicago. Ferguson may be the best 155-pound fighter in the sport right now, but a string of bizarre injuries and personal problems has limited him to only two appearances in three years. A win over Cerrone figures to put him next in line for a title shot, but at 35 years old and considering his injury history, time appears to be running out.
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Ferguson is one of the funkiest fighters in MMA, but he knows how
to mix the basics of combat sports with his unorthodox and creative
style to overwhelm opponents. When working on the lead, Ferguson
sets a ridiculous pace and constantly walks forward with varied
combos. He is as comfortable as anybody striking in the pocket, and
he can effectively fight out of both stances. Opponents never
really know what is coming next from Ferguson, but some of his
favorite combinations are a rear straight to lead hook or a dipping
lead uppercut to rear straight out of either stance.
Not only can Ferguson fight out of both stances, but as a true ambidextrous fighter, he manages to hide his stance switches in motion. At the highest levels, most fighters can strike out of both stances, but few can hide the switches in motion and trick their opponents into thinking they are in the other stance before throwing strikes from an unexpected angle from the opposite side. A fighter who can fluidly switch stances in motion creates a variety of attacks from which to choose, which in turn overloads the opponent’s reactions due to all the possibilities. When an orthodox fighter faces an orthodox opponent, he knows what is available to him on offense and defense. However, when an opponent switches to southpaw, it opens a new realm of possibilities. When switching back and forth, opportunities are constantly opening and closing, making this style difficult to read. Ferguson will throw a rear straight while switching to the other stance and then immediately throw a punch from his other hand, which is now the rear. Little tricks like this often go unnoticed, but they can be the deciding factors in a fight and Ferguson has a deep bag of tricks from which to choose.
Ferguson is usually the one to push the pace but he does have good countering instincts, especially against fellow aggressive fighters. His go-to counter is a simple intercepting jab, but he also routinely looks for counter uppercuts down the middle. However, as an aggressive fighter, he takes an aggressive approach to counters. Instead of single precision strikes, Ferguson likes to counter with a full-fledged combo while the opponent is overextended or off-balance to dissuade him from leading.
Ferguson is one of the best strikers in the sport, but with a 14-1 record in the UFC he is also one of the most documented fighters on the roster. That means we have lots of examples of what he historically struggles with, and the more you dissect a fighter, the more openings you will find. He often struggles with aggressive fighters who are willing to get in his face and not allow him to set the pace of the fight. Lando Vannata nearly beat him in his UFC debut by doing so, and Rafael dos Anjos had brief moments of success doing the same.
Ferguson’s biggest problem on defense is his tendency to keep his hands low and drop them even lower when throwing kicks. Far too often, he drops his hands and leans far back at the waist when throwing kicks, and a lot of his opponents have taken advantage of this hole.
Ferguson’s striking prowess may be what got him to the dance, but his equally robust grappling makes him one of the most feared lightweights on the planet. Six of his 14 UFC victories have come by submission, including three of his last five; and he got his start in martial arts through amateur wrestling Something to note about his grappling: his Imanari and Granby roll transitions. Ferguson does not have the best takedown defense or bottom game, so when he gets taken down, he often looks for a Granby roll to escape or reverse position. As for the Imanari rolls, he has not landed many of them successfully, but they further add to his already creative style and give opponents one more weapon about which to worry. Cerrone is also an underrated grappler, but Ferguson’s submission skills and wrestling background give him a slight edge on the ground. Do not be surprised if we see him forego riskier exchanges on the feet to try and win this one on the mat.
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