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What’s the story?
Tony Ferguson has successfully undergone surgery on his injured knee and is now on the road to recovery.
He posted the pictures of his knee after surgery on his Instagram account and the scars look really deep.
In case you didn’t know…
Tony was scheduled to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov in a much-anticipated lightweight title bout in UFC 223.
But a week before the fight, he tripped over a cable and injured his Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL).
Tony was replaced by the UFC Featherweight Champion, Max Holloway. After Holloway was considered unfit to compete and removed from the card, Al Iaquinta agreed to step in and fight Khabib.
Khabib defeated Iaquinta via unanimous decision and became the undisputed Lightweight champion. Tony, meanwhile, was stripped of his interim title after Khabib's victory.
The heart of the matter
Ferguson's injury was caused by a freak accident. According to reports, he was walking, saw someone he wasn't expecting to see, turned to say hello and tripped.
LCL knee surgery is an open-knee procedure and cannot be done arthroscopically, hence he had to be cut open quite deep.
In a grade 3 tear, it is also usual to have damage to the neighbouring ligaments. More severe tears can cause numbness or weakness in the foot. Recovery time depends on the severity of the injury and the person in question may need physical therapy for up to 3 months to prevent instability.
Thus, it seems like a long road before we see Ferguson fight again.
What’s next?
It's the fourth time a 'Tony vs Khabib' fight was cancelled, and Dana White has already stated that booking a fight between these two in the future is extremely unlikely.
It's popular opinion that Ferguson had the best chance of ending Khabib's unbeaten streak, and now that he'll be out for quite a while, his time as a top lightweight may be over.
Author’s take
A healthy Tony is the best matchup for Khabib. He can easily outstrike him standing up and can do some good damage off his back too.
He is 34 years old and still in his prime but the injury will definitely take a toll on his future fights.
If Tony retires without beating Khabib, it will be a huge disappointment to him and his fans. He has all the talent to be the Lightweight champion and he has worked hard for it.
I, for one, hope he recovers fast and gets his shot at the title again.
