Getty The Octagon prior to the start of the UFC 250 event at UFC APEX on June 06, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
A highly anticipated lightweight bout is scheduled as the co-main event for UFC 256 on December 12, however one of the competitors shared his skepticism about the fight taking place. No. 3 ranked Tony Ferguson and No. 7 ranked Charles Oliveira are two of the best lightweights in the world and a victory would keep them relevant in the title picture conversation.
However, Ferguson took to social media on Tuesday to share his belief that “Do Bronx” will miss the 156-pound lightweight limit when they weigh in on Friday. “El Cucuy” also stated that if Oliveira misses weight by a substantial amount, he won’t take the fight.
Although Oliveira has a history of missing weight in the UFC, it happened when he competed at featherweight. Do Bronx has not missed weight in any of his 14 bouts in the UFC’s lightweight division.
“I am counting on the Brazilian @charlesdobronxs & others to come in overweight like usual,” Ferguson wrote on Instagram. “So I’m calling it now. Case law: short notice fight, @charlesdobronxs will not cut weight all week & show up 3-4 Lbs over weight & use the excuse of a short notice fight. If he shows up that much overweight we are not competing. So crew, Make sure you visit the kid’s page @charlesdobronxs & encourage him to make the weight if you want to see a fight.”
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Ferguson Looks to Rebound As Oliveira Hopes to Keep His Win Streak Intact
Ferguson (25-4) is competing for the first time since his 12-fight win streak was snapped by Justin Gaethje. The two fought for the interim lightweight belt at UFC 249 in May and El Cucuy lost via fifth-round TKO.
Since moving back up to the lightweight division, Oliveira (29-8, 1 no contest) has gone 8-1 and is currently on a seven-fight win streak with all of the victories coming by finish.
The state of the lightweight division is unclear as champion Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement in October. However, “The Eagle” has neither vacated the belt nor has the UFC stripped him. If Nurmagomedov does indeed drop the belt in the coming months, the winner of Ferguson vs. Oliveira may be in a prime position to challenge for the vacant strap.
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Ferguson Is Regarded as 1 of the Greatest Lightweights of All Time
El Cucuy has been a contender in the UFC’s lightweight division for years and has victories over some of the biggest names to compete in the weight class. Ferguson started his UFC career by winning The Ultimate Fighter 13 in 2011 at welterweight.
He immediately dropped down to lightweight and has competed at the weight ever since. He is 15-2 in the promotion and has wins over multiple former lightweight champions and top contenders, including Rafael dos Anjos, Anthony Pettis, Donald Cerrone and Edson Barboza.
Ferguson is also the former interim UFC lightweight champion. El Cucuy won the belt when he finished Kevin Lee by submission at UFC 216 in 2017. He was subsequently stripped of the belt due to injury.
Oliveira as an opponent is a fantastic gauge to see where the 36-year-old Ferguson is at in his nearly decade long UFC career.
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Fan Favorite UFC Star Doubts Upcoming Fight: ‘I’m Calling It Now’