5 iconic Tony Ferguson moments in the UFC

Tony Ferguson is among the most beloved, entertaining and weird fighters on the UFC roster. The California native has a huge fanbase, largely thanks to his incredibly unique style of fighting, unorthodox training methods and savage mentality.

At the height of his powers, Ferguson put together a stellar and violent 12-fight win streak in the lightweight division. His scorching run between 2013 and 2019 saw him beat the likes of Josh Thomson, Edson Barboza, Rafael dos Anjos, Kevin Lee, Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone.

Ferguson is also one of the unluckiest fighters in promotional history. Despite his six-year unbeaten run, a shot at undisputed UFC gold repeatedly elluded 'El Cucuy'. Nevertheless, he will always be remembered as a quirky yet brilliant fighter who, in his prime, was considered one of the scariest individuals to ever grace the octagon.

On that note, here are the five most iconic Tony Ferguson moments in the UFC so far.

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#5. Tony Ferguson wins The Ultimate Fighter

Tony Ferguson was a regular on the California regional MMA circuit between 2008 and 2010, bouncing between lightweight and welterweight under a number of different local promotional banners. He accrued a professional record of 10-2 before being selected as a contestant in season 13 of the UFC's longtime reality series, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF).

That particular season pitted top heavyweights Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos as opposing coaches. Ferguson was drafted into Lesnar's team and proceeded to go on a rampant run of finishes, securing KO/TKO wins over Justin Edwards, Ryan McGillivray and Chuck O'Neil to book his place in the finals.

In the TUF 13 finalé, Ferguson knocked out Ramsey Nijem to earn a UFC contract. He went on to become a fan favorite, as the masses were drawn to his non-traditional style of fighting. His scintillating run on TUF would set the tone for what was to come from 'El Cucuy'.

Watch a compilation of Tony Ferguson's best moments on TUF below:

#4. Tony Ferguson demolishes Josh Thomson – UFC Fight Night 71

After a successful showing on The Ultimate Fighter, Tony Ferguson joined the talent-filled UFC lightweight division and got off to an incredible start. He went 7-1 in his first eight fights, finishing the likes of Yves Edwards, Katsunori Kikuno, Abel Trujillo, and Gleison Tibau along the way.

In his ninth UFC bout, Ferguson took on former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson at UFC Fight Night 71.

Up until his bout with Thomson, Ferguson had a cult following and developed a reputation for being a slick grappler with awkward, yet effective, striking. His performance against 'The Punk' served as a prelude to the best of 'El Cucuy', as it was the first time he displayed the signature style of fighting that made him a massive star.

Ferguson's now-legendary use of elbows was first on display in his fight against Thomson. The TUF winner put an absolute beating on his fellow Californian counterpart, slicing and dicing his way to a unanimous decision victory.

A couple of unorthodox elbow strikes opened deep cuts on Thomson's face and by the end of the fight, he looked like he'd been through a cheese grater. The former Strikeforce and Bellator fighter has since opened up about his experience of fighting Ferguson, saying that it was unlike anything he had faced previously.

Watch the full fight below:

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#3. Tony Ferguson and Lando Vannata deliver 'Fight of the Year' candidate – UFC Fight Night 91

Five months after his triumph over Josh Thomson, Tony Ferguson produced another statement-making win against surging Brazilian striker Edson Barboza. He submitted Barboza in the second round of their bout to solidify his status as one of the most promising contenders at 155 pounds.

Likely one or two wins away from a championship opportunity, Ferguson was booked to take on fellow TUF winner Michael Chiesa. Chiesa won season 15 of the reality series and was riding a three-fight win streak going into the scheduled bout with 'El Cucuy'.

The fascinating matchup between the two lethal grapplers was a highly-anticipated bout. As such, it came as a massive disappointment when Chiesa was forced to pull out two weeks before the fight. On short notice, the UFC replaced 'The Maverick' with promotional newcomer Lando Vannata, who held a perfect 8-0 record at the time.

Many wrote off Vannata as soon as he was announced as the replacement, citing that it was not a very competitive matchup. Ferguson was expected to run through 'Groovy' and the odds reflected the same, with 'El Cucuy' closing as a massive betting favorite.

The bout that ensued turned out to be one of the best fights of 2016. Vannata got floored by a jab early in the first round and bounced back in spectacular fashion, dropping Ferguson four times inside the opening five minutes. With one round clearly in the bag, likely a 10-8, Vannata probably should've played it safe in the second.

Instead, he went after Ferguson with everything he had, catching him with a thunderous head kick and some perfectly timed counters. Moments later, he got sloppy and left his neck exposed in the clinch. 'El Cucuy' snatched onto it and transitioned from a guillotine to a D'Arce choke, forcing Vannata to tap.

If Tony Ferguson had beaten Michael Chiesa, he probably would've received a title shot straight away. Nevertheless, the win over Lando Vannata put Ferguson in a very strong position in the title mix atop the lightweight division. Moreover, the Vannata bout served as a clear indicator of Ferguson's toughness, one of his scariest attributes.

Watch the full fight below:

#2. Tony Ferguson dominates former champion in his first main event – UFC Fight Night 98

Riding a blistering eight-fight win streak in the UFC lightweight division following his win over Lando Vannata, Tony Ferguson was tantalizingly close to a shot at gold. The Californian had already put together a stellar résumé, but still needed to beat a big name before calling for a shot at UFC gold.

Off the back of his sparkling run of form, Ferguson was booked to take on former 155-pound kingpin Rafael dos Anjos. The duo squared off in the main event of UFC Fight Night 98, which went down in Mexico City, Mexico.

Rafael dos Anjos is among the most well-rounded fighters in the history of the 155-pound division. The Brazilian has solid stand-up and slick grappling, in addition to being one of the bigger lightweights around. Stylistically, many believed he would be a challenging matchup for Tony Ferguson.

The first round was a closely contested affair, with both lightweights landing good shots. Ferguson dominated the second with his relentless forward pressure, catching his Brazilian counterpart repeatedly with jabs, body kicks and leg kicks. Dos Anjos enjoyed moments of success in the third, but struggled against the volume of 'El Cucuy' in the penultimate frame.

Dos Anjos was visibly battered going into the fifth and final round, while his American foe looked as fresh as he did in the first. Ferguson put on a clinic in the final five minutes to reel in a unanimous decision victory.

Watch the highlights of the fight below:

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#1. Tony Ferguson wins interim lightweight championship – UFC 216

Going into 2017, Tony Ferguson was riding a nine-fight win streak and a large section of fans were clamoring for him to fight for the title. Conor McGregor was the lightweight titleholder at the time, but the Irishman's foray into the professional boxing world prompted the UFC to put up an interim title.

Ferguson was fresh off his resounding victory over former UFC champion Rafael dos Anjos and was booked to fight Kevin Lee, who was riding a five-fight win streak at the time. The duo locked horns in the main event of UFC 216.

Kevin Lee dominated the first round, taking Tony Ferguson down and raining down heavy ground-and-pound strikes. Lee secured full mount and landed some thunderous elbows on 'El Cucuy', who was arguably saved by the bell after the opening five minutes.

It appeared as though Lee overcompensated with his gas tank in the first round, as he looked quite fatigued in the second. Ferguson picked apart 'The Motown Phenom' on the feet, and didn't give him any time to take a breather.

In the third round, Lee seemingly realized that he wasn't going to last 25 minutes. He turned up the pace and started attacking takedowns in an attempt to replicate his success in the first round. As he attempted to take Ferguson down, 'El Cucuy' latched onto a triangle choke, forcing Lee to tap.

Watch the full fight below: