Mixed martial artist Chael Sonnen attends the UFC 170 event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on February 22, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Chael Sonnen shared his thoughts on Tony Ferguson’s future in the UFC
‘El Cucuy’ will be taking on Beneil Dariush at UFC 262. The co-main event will be a 3 round lightweight contest.
Ferguson who has been in the worst form his life, can still break into the title picture, if he can find a way through the robust Iranian. In fact, Ferguson is still ranked number 5.
Since he has had no wins in 2020 and in 2021, till date, a lot of speculations about his future in the UFC have begun creating waves. He is already in the biggest fight-skid in his career, and the skid might go on if he fails to beat Dariush.
Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen addressed this in the recent episode of Ariel & The Bad Guy, with Ariel Helwani.
Helwani asked Sonnen if Ferguson could return to the title picture, in case he loses at UFC 262. Sonnen replied that it would be very unrealistic for the 37-year old to get back to lightweight relevance if he takes an L.
Sonnen told Helwani:
“Very unrealistic…with stubbing his toe here, Tony Ferguson, that he could return, that we could even lay out a map that could possibly even get him back to a championship.”
Despite claiming that a loss would signal the end of the ‘title challenge’ road for Tony Ferguson, Chael Sonnen was hopeful of seeing a new and rejuvenated Ferguson.
Ferguson, in fact, has stepped up his training and dieting since his loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 256. He has been training with legendary boxing trainer Freddie Roach, and has been putting in the hard yards.
Sonnen hence said in the same episode:
“I am expecting…I am very hopeful that we see a little bit of a new Tony.”
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