After nearly a month-long hiatus, the UFC returns to action this Saturday in Mexico City. UFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs Ferguson (also known as TUF: Latin America 3 Finale), features a bunch of exciting, must-see bouts. One of these is the main event: Rafael dos Anjos vs Tony Ferguson. Do NOT miss this fight!
Rafael dos Anjos vs Tony Ferguson
In the main event, Rafael dos Anjos vs Tony Ferguson, we have two prominent lightweights battling to be considered next in line for a title shot. Dos Anjos, the former champion, is just one fight removed from still being the 155 lb king. It was Eddie Alvarez who shocked him earlier this year, paving the way for a big upset and a clash with Conor McGregor. A win for dos Anjos puts him back in the talk for a chance to retain his belt. Ferguson is on the rise however, and presents a very formidable test as he looks for his 8th consecutive win. This bout features a peculiar clash of styles.
Rafael dos Anjos
Dos Anjos is a pressure fighter which means he tries to back his opponent up and lead the dance. Dos Anjos is also very aggressive (typically synonymous with this style), which means he has a high output and almost constanty seeks to do damage. Over the years, we have seen Dos Anjos do incredible things with this style. He ran through Benson Henderson, smothered Anthony Pettis, and blitzed Donald Cerrone. However, he ran into trouble when he fought a guy who didn’t panic under the intense pressure. Eddie Alvarez stayed calm, even as he ate left hand after left hand while he tried to circle away. Eventually, dos Anjos let his defenses slip up, and he ate a big right hand which caused him to lose the title. In this bout, I see dos Anjos bringing the same intense style, but with more calculation.
Tony Ferguson
Ferguson is a bit of an oddball. Technically speaking, he isn’t very pretty to watch. His mechanics are a little stiff, and his movement does not represent that of a phenomenal athlete. However, he is ultra-effective with certain weapons. The best weapon being his d’arce choke. He looks for this technique when he has his opponent panicked, fatigued, or stunned. They will shoot for a takedown, protect against the guillotine, but fall into the d’arce instead. Ferguson thrives in the chaos of a fight, and is willing to throw himself into harms way if that means potentially landing something effective. This is why you’ll see him do somersaults and spinning techniques.
Ferguson is also a pressure fighter; he has shown an insane ability to eat damage and keep attacking. However, we all know everybody has a limit to how much damage they can take. In his last bout, Ferguson was rocked several times by opponent Lando Vannata. Ferguson recovered, and eventually sunk in his trademark choke, but was this a sign of his reckless style beginning to be a detriment?
The Matchup
I love this fight. The more I think about it, the more I’m able to see similarities between two fighters who operate very differently. The big theme here is that both are fighters like to push forward, but do so differently. Dos Anjos likes to back his opponent up, control the center of the Octagon, and slam left hands and left kicks at his opponent’s body and head. He maintains distance well, but typically doesn’t react to his opponents at all (this is what got him caught against Alvarez). Also, he will look to shoot for takedowns against the cage, get on top, and continue his persistent onslaught of damage. He’s a dump truck on a one-way path with no breaks.
This contrasts with “El Cucuy”, who is on no path at all. Ferguson operates under no rules, and embraces the chaos of a brawl. He doesn’t cut his opponents off, he chases after them. He doesn’t manage distance, he disposes of it. As long as he can survive the counters and the damage that comes his way, it’s a tough style to beat.
The Verdict
First, I want to say that I predict this fight will be a barn-burner. Ferguson’s fights are always exciting, but he’s going to have an opponent who doesn’t back down either. This is guaranteed violence.
Second, I’m going to lean towards Rafael dos Anjos. I think he’s the smart pick because he is more efficient, battle-tested, and has a style that can be sustained. I love Ferguson’s style; it’s fun as hell to watch, but I don’t see it being effective against someone who is champion caliber. Ferguson preys on opponents who panic and crumble under the pressure; a former champion in dos Anjos will have the ability to stay calm and fight through whatever Ferguson throws at him. Furthermore, Dos Anjos can stifle Ferguson’s hyper-aggression with crippling body kicks and takedowns. This will force Ferguson to fight a more methodical fight, and keep dos Anjos out of the brawl. This doesn’t mean Ferguson can’t catch dos Anjos with something sneaky, but RDA is the smart pick.
