Revisiting Ferguson vs Gaethje

[3rdAccount]

This site is never short of threads about Tony so I apologize in advance for bringing him up again. Most of the threads I have read were questioning whether Tony was ever that good. I can't deny that after three straight losses, it's more than fair for his credentials and age to be questioned. However, I still have trouble understanding why some people claim Tony never had a chance against Justin.

I have watched this fight more than any other fight. When I first watched the fight live, it wasn't until the fourth round that I thought Tony might lose the fight. He was battered with counter punches but Tony gets hit a lot in all his fights. Rewatching the fight though, I have to admit, it was likely that Tony was going to lose by the end of third round. But, everytime I watch this fight, I come out with the impression that Tony had all the tools to beat this guy. Does anyone else think Tony would have defeated Justin with a better gameplan? You might think I'm crazy but I think Tony wasn't relentless enough in the earlier rounds and gave Justin too much room to breathe. Justin often fights like a boxer and Tony allowed him to do that.

 

[The Good The Bad The HBK]

Tony screwed himself by cutting weight twice imo then Justin put a career altering beating on him

 

[YungSithLxrd]

Tony has landing good body teeps in r1 that he abandoned for no reason. Also he has one of the best reaches at LW but doesn't know how to use it, he could have jabbed Gaethjes face off if he did. Gaethje has t Rex arms and throws leg kicks from boxing range, tony easily could have stood on the outside with foot work stayed long with teeps and jabs til gaethje gassed. But he chose to put his face right in front of Gaethjes for 5 rounds

 

[Substance Abuse]

Tony was good. However his style, training and disregard for recovery and health all culminated in him crashing and burning. I don't care if he ever would have beaten Khabib or not - which I don't think he would have - he was on a ridiculous run and was incredibly exciting. The guy is obviously not the same, but his tendency to be involved in great bouts and absorb punishment like prime Cabbage absorbed punches is mind boggling.

I think measured, tactical Gaethje was going to put it on him regardless of that second weight cut. War Tony anyway. Respect.

 

[rjmbrd]

Tony got old and looked old, just like everyone else's favorite fighters.

Once in a great long while, you get someone appropriately young like Khabib retiring. Effectively a freak occurrence in elite MMA.

 

[Axe720]

He could've beaten Gaethje, had he been training for Gaethje. He was training for the sport's greatest grappler then took a fight against a vastly improved striker, all after doing a double weight cut. Under those circumstances, his chances were slim.

 

[TheTickG]

If Tony didn't spend months preparing for Khabib, didn't do two weight cuts, and trained properly for a brawling explosive wrestler instead; I think Tony would still have a career.

 

[Willek]

I will never watch that fight again. Tony’s career died in an empty arena.

 

[AtaTheCrow]

I will never watch that fight again. Tony’s career died in an empty arena.

Sad way to put it, but unfortunately true.

 

[The Schmoop]

That was one of the worst ass beatings I’ve seen as far as damage absorbed. No crowd being there made it worse. Justin’s new found patience and more calculated approach to striking would have always been a problem for Tony. Tony just ran into the best version that night.

 

[rear naked ankle pick]

I'll never rewatch that fight in my life


Tony bless

 

[Krokodil]

Gaethje looked razor sharp in that fight. Im retrospective, maybe he did look so good because Tony fell off.

 

[Rektkid]

Can't bring myself to ever watch that fight again. It was disturbing viewing to say the least.

 

[fullspar]

Tony peaked up until Cerrone, after that everything just caught up with him.

I think the mental breakdowns he had probably didn't help, and more than likely finished him more than anything fitness/injury wise.

He just wasn't the same, added with the beat down he took from Gaethje.

I wish we got to see Tony in his prime VS Khabib, even though Khabib probably would have won, we cannot base his career on his last 3 fights. That was the not same Tony pre 2019, the mental issues, IMO, were the start of his downfall.

 

[Gensoking]

Tony was never a technically solid fighter while Gaethje became very technically solid after his loss to Poirier. Tony was able to rely on his chin and cardio to push his opponents until they crumble but Gaethje never let him take over the pace and kept the striking technical

 

[Fergelmince]

There is no revisiting this fight. Gaethje fucking obliterated ferguson. There is absolutely no other perspective just because time has passed. Gaethje got way closer to KOing ferguson here than ferguson's uppercut at the end of the 2nd rd.

And that wasn’t even the worst of it. A very precise, painful jab made ferguson RUN AWAY and beg not to be savagely beaten further, for fear of permanent physical and mental damage here

"Por favor, por favor El Diablo. No MaS, No MAS!"