Tony Ferguson next fight: Who is 'El Cucuy' fighting at UFC 256?

Tony Ferguson is set to return to the Octagon in December for the first time since his crushing loss to Justin Gaethje in May this year.

'El Cucuy' will face submission artist Charles Oliveira in a Lightweight bout at UFC 256 on December 12. The pay-per-view will take place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) will face Charles Oliveira (@CharlesDoBronxs) at UFC 256 on Dec. 12 in Las Vegas, per Dana White (@danawhite). Ferguson gets his wish to fight again before the end of 2020. Huge addition to that Dec. 12 event.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 21, 2020

Tony Ferguson had been asking for a fight before the year ended, and he finally has been granted his wish.

There were talks of him fighting Dustin Poirier at one point, but that did not materialize. He called out Michael Chandler, who is yet to fight in UFC. But Chandler refused to fight in December as he had cut weight to serve as a potential replacement for the Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje fight on October 24.

His services were fortunately not required and Khabib Nurmagomedov went on to successfully defend his title before announcing his retirement.

Michael Chandler offered to fight at UFC 257 on January 23, but Tony Ferguson was adamant to get a fight before the end of 2020.

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Can Tony Ferguson return to winning ways?

When Justin Gaethje put a beating on Tony Ferguson at UFC 249, he ended El Cucuy's 12-fight winning streak which was unbroken since 2013. Tony Ferguson last lost to Michael Johnson in 2012 and has since gone on to win against the likes of Edson Barboza, Rafael dos Anjos, Kevin Lee, Anthony Pettis, and Donald Cerrone.

Tony Ferguson held the second longest win streak in UFC lightweight history before his fight with Justin Gaethje. Will El Cucuy snap Oliveira's streak and get back in the win column this weekend at #UFC256? pic.twitter.com/983Emykxv7

— MMA On Point (@OnPointMMA) December 7, 2020

So, Tony Ferguson is headed to UFC 256 with his first loss in over eight years and will be eager to get back to winning ways before long. But the feat will probably not be quite as easy.

The contest is likely going to be a clash between Ferguson's extensive reach,quick strikes and cardio versus Charles Oliveira's unparalleled submission skills. With a third degree black belt in BJJ, 'Do Bronx' has clinched 19 out of his 29 career victories via submission.

On top of that, Oliveira is on a seven-fight winning streak. His last win was over Kevin Lee via third-round guillotine choke submission. However, it is worth remembering that 10th planet whiz Ferguson himself is no slouch on the mat.

Tony Ferguson has already lost his chance at the 155 pounds title once by losing to Justin Gaethje. The status of the Lightweight belt is uncertain now, with Khabib Nurmagomedov's retirement still shrouded in mystery.

Nevertheless, Tony Ferguson would want to climb up to the top contender spot once again, and a win over Charles Oliveira is the first step towards that.