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TUF 22 Finale Results: Tony Ferguson Keeps Rolling, Subs Edson Barboza

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Entering the Octagon at Friday night’s The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale in Las Vegas as the No. 6 and No. 7 lightweight fighters in the UFC, Edson Barboza and Tony Ferguson each had a golden opportunity to move a step closer to title contention.

Known as two of the more dynamic fighters in the UFC, Barboza and Ferguson wasted little time showing it.

Ferguson immediately stormed Barboza, who answered with a flurry of punches. Regrouping, Ferguson rolled into a kneebar attempt, but Barboza defended and they ended up exchanging heavy hammerfists. That was all within the first 30 seconds of the fight.

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Ferguson kicked Barboza across the face to create space to stand, but the shot was illegal and referee Big John McCarthy deducted a point from Ferguson before restarting the fight.

“I’m not one to take cheap shots, but it was kind of BS on my part,” said Ferguson after the fight.

Back on their feet, Ferguson tried another rolling kneebar, but Barboza defended well and started landing solid body shots.

The remainder of the round played out with the two exchanging a wide variety of advanced strikes, with neither gaining a huge advantage over the other, except for the fact that Ferguson lost a point for the illegal kick.

Ferguson started round two by again charging Barboza and ate knee to the face for his trouble. After exchanging upward elbows strikes, both men were cut open and bleeding profusely.

They entered another wild series of trading strikes, Barboza becoming more and more effective at attacking Ferguson’s body.

Midway through the second frame, Barboza shot a takedown, but Ferguson avoided the shot and locked on a D’arce choke in the ensuing scramble. Hitting the canvas, Ferguson quickly adjusted the choke and Barboza tapped out.

“Of course I had it deep and I knew I had it,” Ferguson proclaimed after the fight, before declaring, “Next, I want next in line. He was No. 6, I was No. 7. Give me No. 5 or give me a title shot. I’m out!”

The victory ran Ferguson’s winning streak to seven consecutive bouts. Sitting at No. 5 is Michael Johnson, who just happens to be Ferguson’s lone stumbling block in the Octagon. Johnson, however, has a fight lined up with Nate Diaz, so it’s unclear whom the UFC will look to match him up with next.

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