Tony Ferguson (17-3) kommer möta Gleison Tibau (33-10) på UFC 184 nu i helgen och hoppas kamma hem sin åttonde vinst i oktagonen.
Om Ferguson vinner sin match mot Tibau så kommer han ha en winstreak på fem vinster. Även om det inte är många som talar om Ferguson som en utmanare till titeln ännu, så hoppas Ferguson att han kommer lämna oktagonen med ett imponerande rekord.
“What’s better than 7-1? 8-1,” Berättade Ferguson för MMAjunkie Radio. “I want to make sure I pick off each and every fighter. I want to make sure they’re scared of ‘El Cucuy,’ and I want to make sure when I do get that title shot, people are not like, ‘He talked his way to the title’ or bitching and moaning – because that’s what people do.”
“No, I want people to be like, ‘This guy’s not the Anderson Silva of the division – he’s the Tony ‘El Cucuy’ Ferguson of the division.”
Ferguson menar att när han väl får sin titelchans så kommer han att vara redo för den.
“I put fear in people,” sa han. “Regardless of how long it takes me to get to that shot, I’m going to make sure that my skill level is just as good as when I get that title shot.”
Fergusons motståndare, Tibau, har väldigt mycket erfarenhet i oktagonen och har vunnit sina tre senaste matcher.
“Obviously, we know he has a ton of experience inside the octagon, but I’m not counting on that,” Sa Ferguson. “He can’t bring any of that experience of anybody he’s fought before.”
Ferguson räknar med att matchen kommer tas ner på marken.
“If he just wants to sit there and lay on me like Danny Castillo did, he can try to play the judges, but it’s just not going to work, man,” SaFerguson. “He’s going to have a barrage of knees, punches, kicks and elbows coming at his face, and with an unlimited supply of conditioning. That’s one of his downfalls right there.”
“Even keeping range, or if we’re going to go close range, I’m a wrestler, and his size is easier to replicate,” Tillade Fergson. “I live in Southern California, and there’s a sh-tload of people here, man. There are a bunch of people who are down to help me win. So when this guy goes to shoot in on me, you’ve got to remember, I used to wrestle at 184 pounds. I bumped up two weight classes, and I was wrestling guys who were 210 pounds, no problem, and I’m barely making 174. I’m used to these big brutes coming after me. It’s not going to translate any differently when I get in that octagon on Saturday.”
Ferguson säger att han har hittat många svagheter i Tibaus game genom att titta på matcher som Tibau har förlorat och en match som har varit extra intressant är Tibaus förlust mot Michael Johnson (16-8).
“(Johnsons kept on his feet, kept his shots really light, and he took out Gleison Tibau,” Sa han. “When I go in and watch film, I look at these guys’ mistakes, and I want to make sure I capitalize on them.”
Ferguson kommer vara mer än redo för Tibau.
“Dude, I’ve got more experience on the back of my hand than a lot of these guys,” Sa Ferguson. “I’ve got so much mat time, I played three different sports growing up, and I’ve reached that pinnacle. Anything he’s going to throw at me, I’m going to be ready for.”
