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Justin Gaethje celebrates his victory over Tony Ferguson
Image credit: USA TODAY
Dubai: Powerless Justin Gaethje delivered a powerful performance in the biggest fight of his career to ruthlessly break Tony Ferguson’s 12-fight winning streak to claim the UFC lightweight interim title in Florida on Saturday night (Sunday by morning, UAE time).
Entering the bout as a short-term replacement for champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, the 31-year-old Pennsylvania native stopped Ferguson with a barrage of head shots in the fifth and final round, forcing referee Herb Dean to stop arrest. competition.
In a brutal competition that saw the two wrestlers hitting each other on their feet, Gaethje repeatedly stunned Ferguson with clean counterattacks that forced him to pedal repeatedly before the finale reached 3:30 in Round 5.
Justin Gaethje beat Tony Ferguson at UFC 249
Image credit: AP
“I’m waiting for the real one,” Gaethje told UFC Joe Rogfan in the post-fight interview, after taking off his interim belt and tossing it aside.
“There is no other challenge he wants at the moment. I want to fight him,” said Nurmagomedov, who immediately went to Twitter to say “no comment.”
“I knew it was an assassin entering here. I’m fine brother. There is no better drug on earth than the adrenaline that runs through my veins.
“I have a world class coach. I had to lose to change. You can’t fix what’s broken. Once I understood what was wrong, they beat me up too much and I was having too much fun. “Both times I lost, I was having too much fun. At this level, you can’t do that. “
It was Ferguson’s first loss since 2013 and left him reflecting on his future.
Also on the card
Henry Cejudo, right, punches Dominick Cruz during his UFC 249 fight
Image credit: AP
Earlier in the main event, former Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo scored a controversial TKO against former champion Domick Cruz to defend his 135-pound title.
“I am ruthless,” Cejudo told Rogan. “I may be cranky, cheesy, but boy, can I fight?”
The 33-year-old shocked the world of mixed martial arts when he announced his retirement.
“I am happy with my career. I have done enough in the sport. I want to get away and have fun,” he said.
“I’m 33 years old. Now I have a girl who watches me from home. Since I was 11 years old, I have sacrificed my life to get to where I was tonight. I am going to retire tonight.
“Uncle Dana [UFC president Dana White], Thank you. Everyone here, thank you very much. “
Cejudo also grabbed the microphone to declare himself the best combat sports athlete of all time.
Meanwhile, Cruz, who was returning after a three-year absence, hastened to protest the strike.
“I’m not happy with the strike, obviously,” said Cruz. “I specifically asked the referee to let me go until I was out. If I stayed on the floor, that’s fine. But I was going up.
“I take my hat off to Henry. He shouldn’t have been caught by that knee, which is what put me in that position. But he was on his feet.”
In the preliminary main event, welterweight duel Anthony Pettis continued his dominance of Donald Cerrone to score a unanimous point victory, while 32-year-old Carla Esparza claimed a split decision victory over Michelle Watterson in a heavyweight fight. feminine straw.
Fight for fight
Light provisional title
4- Justin Gaethje (USA / Genesis Training Center) def. 2-Tony Ferguson (USA / Team Death Clutch) via fifth round TKO (punches)
Gaethje: “I knew I was a murderer when I entered here. I am a good brother. There is no better drug on earth than the adrenaline that runs through my veins.”
1-Henry Cejudo (USA / Fight Ready) def. Dominick Crus (USA / Alliance MMA) via second round TKO
Cejudo: “I’m ruthless. I may feel crabby, cheesy, but boy, can I fight. I’m happy with my career. I’ve done enough in the sport. I want to get away and have fun.”
2-Francis Ngannou (France-Cameroon / MMA Factory) def. 6-Jair Rozenstruik (Suriname / American Top Team) via first round TKO
Ngannou: “With or without a title shot, I’m still a fighter and I still have what I have and I can make a statement. I had fun there, it wasn’t something I was chasing.”
12-Calvin Kattar (United States / Carlos Neto BJJ) def. 13-Jeremy Stephens (USA / Alliance MMA) by second round knockout
Katter: “The New England cartel is here to stay! I hope to climb to that top 5, I would like to have a chance with an Ultimate Fighter or someone big. “
103-Greg Hardy (USA / American Top Team) def. 143-Yorgan de Castro (USA / Regiment Training Center) by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Hardy: “I feel like I proved that I can stay focused, stay in my pocket and do my job. I’m here to stay, here to evolve and do my job. “
12-Anthony Pettis (USA / Roufusport) def. 20-Donald Cerrone (USA / BMF Ranch) by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Pettis: “I am better than I was when I won the belt. I think every part of your career requires a new version of yourself and I’m finding the version that makes sense.”
17-Aleksei Oleinik (Russia / Team Oleynik) def. 5-Fabricio Werdum (USA / Werdum Combat Team) by decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Oleinik: “This means a lot to me because you can fight one boy, two boys, 10 boys, but not a name. If you only fight nameless people, you won’t have a name for yourself. ”
6-Carla Esparza (USA / Team Oyama) def. 11-Michelle Waterson (USA / Jackson-Wink MMA) by decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Esparza: “I don’t think I really really left, I completely stopped going back for that belt. I think I’ve been scratching and trying to fight back and there have been a couple of bumps along the way, but I’m always trying to improve and go back there. “
25-Vicente Luque (USA / Brazil Closed MMA) def. 47-Niko Price (USA / Futures MMA) via third-round TKO
Luque: “I definitely think I’ve improved since my last fight and that I’m still here. I’m still here to be relevant and lift that division and eventually fight for that title.”
20-Bryce Mitchell (United States / Cheap MMA) def. 35-Charles Rosa (USA / American Top Team) by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-24)
Mitchell: “I think I proved that I got world-class teammates and coaches. I have been saying that for years, what they are telling me to do and what I am doing is world class. “
12-Ryan Spann (United States / Fortis MMA) def. 18-Sam Alvey (United States / Team Quest) by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Spann: “It feels good to come and win, that’s the goal first, to get the win. I wanted to look more imposing, but overall I’m happy to get the win, just disappointed in the way we got it, but we’re Return “.
