The MMA Daily

We have a pivotal fight in the Lightweight division, as “Iron” Michael Chandler takes on Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson. Coming off an absolute war with Justin Gaethje, Chandler returns to the octagon for the first time in 2022. Looking to put a halt to a two-fight skid, Chandler will need to start focusing on winning instead if he ever wants to get another crack at UFC gold. Meanwhile, Ferguson returns to the octagon after nearly a year layoff. Once regarded as one of the best Lightweight’s opposite Khabib Nurmagomedov, Ferguson has fallen on hard times. A loser of three straight, with each fight being fairly dominated, Ferguson’s career may hang in the balance here. A shame, considering he deserved better for the win streak he was on.

As for a prediction, I have Ferguson winning. While he may be one of the biggest underdogs on the card, I believe this time off and matchup will do better for him. Obviously Chandler being a wrestler, presents issues. Especially if we are reflecting on the fact that Ferguson was taken down and dominated on the mat in the last two fights. However, Chandler is also an entertainer. Making it clear that he’s not here for a long time, but a good time – we could very well see Chandler hunting for a knockout. With solid striking and power, Chandler has turned the lights out on 10 opponents. The one problem though, he’s been stopped in four of his losses. I wouldn’t call Chandler “chinny”, especially after that war with Gaethje, but he’s been clipped more than a handful of times to be slightly concerned. If he brings out his wrestling shoes, I believe he should win this fight with relative ease. Something though tells me that he won’t and will pay for it. So with that said, I predict Ferguson to win via TKO.