Fans who were expecting a blood bath during the UFC 229 co-main event were not disappointed.
Former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson took on former Lightweight Champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, and these two were looking to prove that they should be next in line for the division’s crown.
Ferguson started the fight out by dancing back and forth and holding the center of the cage, but Pettis landed some nasty leg kicks. El Cucuy limped, but still pushed the pace, chasing Showtime around the cage and peppering him with punches and kicks. Pettis did not have an answer to Ferguson and kept running from him, though he occasionally taunted him.
Showtime went for his famous cartwheel kick, but didn’t land it.
The first round was all Tony Ferguson.
Round 2 looked like it was going to be a repeat of Round 1, as Ferguson continued with the pressure. Pettis, however, landed a huge shot and cut Tony open. Showtime got in El Cucuy’s guard and stuck his tongue out to show his love for the war he was part of, but the fight quickly went back to the feet. Before it could continue, though, the referee stopped the fight to check both fighters, both of whom bled profusely.
OHHHHHH HUGE shot from Pettis hurts Ferguson!!!#UFC229 @ShowtimePettis pic.twitter.com/qcL4A5SxY7
— UFC (@ufc) October 7, 2018
The fight started again and Pettis got things started with a wild spinning back kick that didn’t land anything. Ferguson started where Round 1 left off — chasing Showtime around the cage and looking to open up Pettis’s hairline cut. El Cucuy landed punch after punch on Pettis, but Showtime stayed in it and even landed a huge right of his own.
Round 2 was a brawl and the crowd was loving it!
Ferguson backed Pettis up on the cage and punched away at him, flooring the former Lightweight Champion right before the round came to a close.
At some point during the fight, Anthony Pettis broke his hand, and Duke Roufus wouldn’t let his star pupil continue. The fight was stopped, and Tony Ferguson came out the winner.
