Lightweights throw verbal jabs before bouts
Chandler-Oliveira to battle for title, but Ferguson feels he’s owed a shot
Feeling somewhat disrespected, Tony Ferguson got his jabs in well before the start of Saturday’s Ultimate Fighting Championship 262 at Toyota Center. The lightweight fighter took verbal shots at Michael Chandler on Thursday.
Only Ferguson isn’t entering the octagon with Chandler. Charles Oliveira is pitted against Chandler for the lightweight title left vacant with the retirement this year of Khabib Nurmagomedov. Conor McGregor was stripped of the championship in 2018 because of inactivity.
UFC is back in Houston, and the mixed martial art competitors are engaging in a battle of words. Smack and trash talking go hand in hand. The real fighting is Saturday, when five bouts headline the action available for pay per view on ESPN+.
“Do you want me to be honest? I think I knock this guy (Chandler) out in the first round,” said Oliveira (30-8), an 11-year UFC veteran whose opponent has two-and-a-half minutes of UFC experience. Oliveira has 15 first-round finishes.
The main event on the card is Oliveira-Chandler. But Ferguson said he is the one who has paid his dues and should be fighting for the title, not Chandler (22-5), one of the most decorated fighters in Bellator history.
“It feels like this is the way it was supposed to be scripted,” Chandler said. “Lot of ups and downs, but every road led me here.
“I said I was going to come in, I was going to kick the door down and showcase my skills and prove what I have been saying over the last decade, that I believe I’m the best lightweight on the planet. And on Saturday night, I get to prove that.”
Chandler, a former Bellator champion, and Ferguson were linked to a bout late last year, but it did not materialize. Ferguson, who isn’t one to hold back his feelings, felt Chandler was avoiding him.
“You dodged me Chandler,” said Ferguson who is fighting Beneil Dariush in a lightweight co-headliner at Toyota Center. “You said no, man. You got this handed to you. You got (UFC president) Dana White privilege.
“Timing is everything. It wasn’t meant for me to have the title. I would’ve given everybody the chance. These guys are going to try to keep the title away as much as they can.”
Ferguson (26-5), who has competed in UFC since 2013, feels Chandler skipped the line on the wait list and hasn’t yet earned an opportunity for a title in this highly-competitive division off just a single UFC win.
But it was Oliveira, who has rebuilt himself into a force, and Chandler who were chosen to fight for the title, not Ferguson. Oliveira has a three-round victory against Ferguson to his credit — a unanimous decision in which Oliveira clearly outwrestled his counterpart and never was in trouble.
Considered a slight favorite, Oliveira, the thirdranked lightweight, and Chandler, ranked fourth, made weight Friday, coming in exactly at the 155pound limit, setting up the showdown in a division where there are no easy fights. For the first time in three years, a new lightweight champion will be crowned.
“Stylistically, it’s an awesome matchup no matter where this fight goes, whether it stays on its feet or goes to the ground, it should be fun,” White said.
Saturday’s UFC 262 is the first capacity event at Toyota Center in more than a year. It is expected to be the highest-grossing event in Toyota Center history.
“This place is sold out, and it’s going to be electric on Saturday night,” White said. “It’s going to be special. I put three shows on sale — Jacksonville, Fla., Houston and Las Vegas — all three combined, sold out in under five minutes. $20 million in revenue, 50,000 tickets sold. The sport is on fire right now, through the roof.
“The whole card is stacked with great fights. This place will be packed the first fight of the night.”