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#3 vs. Edson Barboza – UFC: Ultimate Fighter XXII Finale – 12/11/2015
Following the Thomson win, Ferguson was matched with the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov at December’s TUF 22 Finale, with the winner potentially looking at a title shot in early 2016.
But not for the first time, a possible Ferguson/Nurmagomedov clash was canceled due to an injury, this time to the Dagestani. In his place, Ferguson was faced with Brazilian striker Edson Barboza, the man with the nastiest leg kicks in the UFC.
What ensued was one of the best fights of 2015. Both men came out with serious aggression, looking to take the fight to one another, and Ferguson even attempted a rolling leglock in the opening minute or so.
That led to an illegal kick to the face, though, and Ferguson was deducted a point by referee Big John McCarthy. Barboza went on to land the superior strikes in the round, which meant Ferguson came away on the wrong end of a 10-8.
Evidently, he realised he’d probably need to finish Barboza to win, and so in the second round, somehow ‘El Cucuy’ turned up the heat even more.
Despite being cut by an elbow from the Brazilian, Ferguson just kept on wading forward, throwing elbows and punches in combinations, and pretty soon Barboza was bleeding badly too. With both men now winging huge shots, something had to give.
Barboza attempted his trademark wheel kick only for Ferguson to dodge, and seconds later he caught the Brazilian with a flashy strike of his own – a spinning back elbow.
That stunned Barboza into going for a takedown – and Ferguson defended it and in one deft movement, snapped ‘Junior’ down into a D’Arce choke to force a tapout.
Not only was this a fantastic fight from both men, but it was definitely Ferguson’s gutsiest performance to that point.
Barboza had pushed him harder than anyone had done before; even cut him open badly, but in the end even the Brazilian wilted under the relentless pressure of ‘El Cucuy’.
