By the Numbers: Tony Ferguson

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UFC 229 is now available on Amazon Prime.

Back from an injury, Tony Ferguson is currently on a quest to recapture the lightweight belt. It all starts with a fascinating matchup against former champion Anthony Pettis at UFC 229. Both are offensive nightmares for anyone in the division, but as “Showtime” works to stay at kickboxing range, “El Cucuy” does the opposite and constantly gets in his opponent’s face.

Whose game plan will prove effective when the cage gates close? Before this question is answered, let’s review some figures that have made Ferguson one of the finest lightweights in the world.

3: Sports played when he was at Muskegon Catholic Central High School. Ferguson exceled in football, baseball and wrestling.

165: Pounds was the weight division where he left a trail of destruction on the mats. In 2006, he captured the 2006 National Collegiate Wrestling Association championship.

4: Wins to start his professional MMA career as a welterweight. Among those he defeated were multiple-time kickboxing world champion and future Bellator MMA standout, Joe Schilling.

3: Full rounds with Karen Darabedyan, who dealt him the first loss of his career. It was also Ferguson’s maiden fight at lightweight.

12: Fights before he joined “The Ultimate Fighter” cast. Prior to being selected for “TUF 13,” Ferguson applied multiple times but was repeatedly rejected.

3: Fellow contestants defeated on his way to a finals match with Ramsey Nijem at “TUF 13.” Ferguson won the UFC contract and Knockout of the Night honors by starching the Palestinian-American in the first frame.

1: Loss in the UFC. His lone Octagon defeat came at the hands of Michael Johnson at UFC on Fox 3.

10: Consecutive victories in the lightweight division, a record in the UFC. The winning streak started with his submission of Mike Rio at UFC 166 in 2013 and is still standing. This conquest of Rio earned him Submission of the Night honors.

3: Wins by brabo choke. He used the said submission to get the tap from Rio, Edson Barboza and Lando Vannata.

1: Former UFC champion defeated. He outstruck Rafael dos Anjos to force a unanimous decision win at the main event of the “TUF Latin America 3” Finale.

3: Rounds to beat Kevin Lee and take the interim UFC lightweight belt. He won by triangle choke at 4:02. However, he was later stripped of the belt because of an injury.

718: Total strikes landed in the UFC, per Fightmetric. Ferguson is a technical brawler with a swarming style that has proven to be very effective inside the Octagon.

77: Percent takedown defense. He uses his wrestling to keep the fight standing and has been successful for the most part.

3: Performance of the Night awards. In all, he has collected $150,000 in bonus money for his excellent performances over Barboza, Josh Thomson and Gleison Tibau.

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