Former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson suffered the second straight loss of his professional career against Brazil’s Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC 256.
Throughout the fight, Charles Oliveira showcased his dominant ground game and didn’t give Tony Ferguson a chance to bounce back in the fight. He controlled the fight on the ground aswell as on the feet.
Tony Ferguson at times looked clueless as to what to do next. He was barely saved in the first round by the bell when Oliveira had Ferguson in an armbar. The second round started with Oliveira kicking Ferguson’s injured arm and later took the fight to the ground, where he controlled the top position for most of the round.
The third round also ended in a similar manner as Ferguson had no answer for Oliveira’s superior ground game.
With this win, Charles Oliviera extended his winning record to 30-8-0 and he is currently on an eight-fight winning streak.
“I was the only guy to accept this fight,” Oliveira said afterwards. “I knew this was going to be a really tough fight but 2021, I’m coming. He’s a champion. I knew he wasn’t going to tap out.
“You tell me, who has dominated him like that?”
“When Conor [McGregor] and [Dustin] Poirier fight in January, I’m going to be watching,” Oliveira said. “I’m just going to be waiting to see who’s going to fight me.”
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
Tony Ferguson is not human 😱 #UFC256 pic.twitter.com/yAzYH0AIlO
— UFC (@ufc) December 13, 2020
Good as Justin Gaethje was, Tony Ferguson didn’t show up. Maybe it was the weight cut the week before, maybe it was something else, I guess we’ll find out if it was a career changing fight. Charles Oliviera so complete at this point in his career, fascinating bout #UFC256
— Niall McGrath (@niallmcgrath4) December 13, 2020
This has shut down all the Tony vs Khabib talk. Khabib would've destroyed Tony #ufc256
— Weasle (@ThaWeasle) December 13, 2020
Tony was supposed to fight Khabib for the first time in 2015, then in 2016, then in 2017, then in 2018, then in April of 2020.
To say the Tony we saw tonight or even against Gaethje is the same Tony that was gonna fight Khabib in 2016-2018 is straight ridiculous #UFC256
— 🎃 Esteban is Spooky 👻 (@SteveK_MMA) December 13, 2020
Dana White on Tony Ferguson #UFC256 pic.twitter.com/VpOnKaf7Zf
— Helen Yee (@HelenYeeSports) December 13, 2020
In other news, 98% of pro fighters would’ve tapped to that armbar. Tony is as tough as they come. #UFC256
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) December 13, 2020
Charles just didn’t give Tony anything to work with at all. Completely shut him down. But once again Tony demonstrates his inhuman toughness. #UFC256
— Stiff_Jab🥊 (@stiff_jab_) December 13, 2020
Tony Ferguson deadass got his arm broke in round one and fought two more rounds. I guess thats what he means when he says Snap Into It. #UFC256
— MacMally🍀 (@MacMallyMMA) December 13, 2020
Man. Khabib Nurmagomedov announces his retirement in October, and immediately we think of the names Conor McGregor, Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler as the most likely lightweight champs … Charles Oliveira might beat them all, guys. This guy is legit.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) December 13, 2020
Charles Oliveira defeated Tony Ferguson to extend his eight-fight win streak in the UFC’s lightweight division. #UFC256 pic.twitter.com/3eqdeaBPzX
— ESPN (@espn) December 13, 2020
Charles Oliveira goes into fights and whoops ass and then puts his reading glasses back on like he’s Clark Kent
— Super Fan🇮🇪 (@McGregorRousey) December 13, 2020