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Keys to Victory! Who will win Rafael dos Anjos vs. Tony Ferguson UFC Fight Night 98 main event fight tonight
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight king Rafael dos Anjos will make his first Octagon appearance later tonight (Sat., Nov. 5, 2016) at UFC Fight Night 98 live on FOX Sports 1 from inside Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Mexico, since losing his 155-pound title to Eddie Alvarez this past July. His opponent, Tony Ferguson, will try to validate his eight-fight win streak by defeating the biggest adversary he has ever encountered.
In many regards, RDA vs. Ferguson will spit out the next lightweight title contender. As Alvarez defends his championship for the first time later this month at UFC 205 opposite Conor McGregor, dos Anjos and Ferguson will try to jockey for position in the most crowded weight class in the promotion and impress before 2016 comes to a close.
It’s a tight matchup on paper and one that should produce fireworks on arrival. But before RDA tries to overthrow Ferguson with power and aggression, and “El Cucuy” tries to thwart RDA with unorthodox application and long range attacks, we take a closer look at what each fighter needs to do to leave Mexico City a winner later tonight.
Rafael dos Anjos
1. Believe in his chin…
It’s no secret that RDA got absolutely blasted by Alvarez earlier this year at UFC Fight Night 90. The knockout defeat not only cost the Brazilian his 155-pound title, but it proved that even the scariest of competitors are susceptible to getting finished. It was the first time dos Anjos had been stopped via strikes since losing to Jeremy Stephens by way of knockout back at UFC 91.
That said, the 32-year-old powerhouse must remain confident in the trenches. While Alvarez more than likely softened his chin, dos Anjos still has a pretty darn good one. Most of his offensive game relies on his ability to eat a punch, so second guessing anything at this point would only hurt his chances of getting past a wild opponent like Ferguson.
2. Close the distance…
It’s extremely important that RDA trusts his threshold to eat a punch because he’s probably going to have to take some in order to close the distance on “El Cucuy” and get into position to do the most damage. After all, RDA is at his best when the distance between him and his opponent is minimal and he’s able to uncork all sorts of combinations.
But unlike many of his previous opponents, Ferguson is extra slinky around the edges. Ferguson is tall, lean, rangy and will have over a six-inch reach advantage when the cage door shuts later tonight. That’s the biggest reach discrepancy RDA will have encountered throughout his 20-fight UFC career and an issue he must overcome to put himself in the best scenario to hurt Ferguson and take control of this fight.
Tony Ferguson
1. Utilize elbows inside…
As previously mentioned, Ferguson will enjoy a hefty reach advantage later tonight at UFC Fight Night 98. But as the less explosive and athletic fighter, he will undoubtedly run into trouble on the inside against dos Anjos. Ferguson will have success keeping his distance with straight jabs and front kicks, but he’s going to encounter RDA chest-to-chest at one point or another.
That being said, “El Cucuy” must be prepared offensively for such an occasion. While Ferguson offers solid knees and body shots in the clinch, his best available weapon remains his sharp elbows. Whether he’s throwing them from short range or looping them over the top, the 32-year-old veteran can do serious damage. But whenever Ferguson finds himself aiming high, he must be aware of RDA’s takedown ability along the cage.
2. Pace his aggression…
While Ferguson has displayed above-average punching power and slick offensive attacks that usually leave opponents in vulnerable positions, he isn’t necessarily a punch-for-punch brawler. In the past, he ran into trouble on the feet against guys like Edson Barboza, Michael Johnson and even Lando Vannata, who ate every strike Ferguson had to offer before succumbing to his patented D’Arce choke.
Unfortunately for Ferguson, who is known to push the pace and challenge opponents to sling leather and tire themselves out, RDA is probably the last lightweight in the world you want to corner and force to fire. As a guy who looks to close the gap, push opponents back up against the cage and batter them with powerful combinations of all shapes and sizes, dos Anjos will be salivating if Ferguson comes out of the gate hot.
That’s why “El Cucuy” must remain patient early and pace his own aggression. If he can do that, he could put himself in a good position later in the fight when RDA slows down and offers more openings on the feet.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight king Rafael dos Anjos will make his first Octagon appearance later tonight (Sat., Nov. 5, 2016) at UFC Fight Night 98 live on FOX Sports 1 from inside Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Mexico, since losing his 155-pound title to Eddie Alvarez this past July. His opponent, Tony Ferguson, will try to validate his eight-fight win streak by defeating the biggest adversary he has ever encountered.
In many regards, RDA vs. Ferguson will spit out the next lightweight title contender. As Alvarez defends his championship for the first time later this month at UFC 205 opposite Conor McGregor, dos Anjos and Ferguson will try to jockey for position in the most crowded weight class in the promotion and impress before 2016 comes to a close.
It’s a tight matchup on paper and one that should produce fireworks on arrival. But before RDA tries to overthrow Ferguson with power and aggression, and “El Cucuy” tries to thwart RDA with unorthodox application and long range attacks, we take a closer look at what each fighter needs to do to leave Mexico City a winner later tonight.
Rafael dos Anjos
1. Believe in his chin…
It’s no secret that RDA got absolutely blasted by Alvarez earlier this year at UFC Fight Night 90. The knockout defeat not only cost the Brazilian his 155-pound title, but it proved that even the scariest of competitors are susceptible to getting finished. It was the first time dos Anjos had been stopped via strikes since losing to Jeremy Stephens by way of knockout back at UFC 91.
That said, the 32-year-old powerhouse must remain confident in the trenches. While Alvarez more than likely softened his chin, dos Anjos still has a pretty darn good one. Most of his offensive game relies on his ability to eat a punch, so second guessing anything at this point would only hurt his chances of getting past a wild opponent like Ferguson.
2. Close the distance…
It’s extremely important that RDA trusts his threshold to eat a punch because he’s probably going to have to take some in order to close the distance on “El Cucuy” and get into position to do the most damage. After all, RDA is at his best when the distance between him and his opponent is minimal and he’s able to uncork all sorts of combinations.
But unlike many of his previous opponents, Ferguson is extra slinky around the edges. Ferguson is tall, lean, rangy and will have over a six-inch reach advantage when the cage door shuts later tonight. That’s the biggest reach discrepancy RDA will have encountered throughout his 20-fight UFC career and an issue he must overcome to put himself in the best scenario to hurt Ferguson and take control of this fight.
Tony Ferguson
1. Utilize elbows inside…
As previously mentioned, Ferguson will enjoy a hefty reach advantage later tonight at UFC Fight Night 98. But as the less explosive and athletic fighter, he will undoubtedly run into trouble on the inside against dos Anjos. Ferguson will have success keeping his distance with straight jabs and front kicks, but he’s going to encounter RDA chest-to-chest at one point or another.
That being said, “El Cucuy” must be prepared offensively for such an occasion. While Ferguson offers solid knees and body shots in the clinch, his best available weapon remains his sharp elbows. Whether he’s throwing them from short range or looping them over the top, the 32-year-old veteran can do serious damage. But whenever Ferguson finds himself aiming high, he must be aware of RDA’s takedown ability along the cage.
2. Pace his aggression…
While Ferguson has displayed above-average punching power and slick offensive attacks that usually leave opponents in vulnerable positions, he isn’t necessarily a punch-for-punch brawler. In the past, he ran into trouble on the feet against guys like Edson Barboza, Michael Johnson and even Lando Vannata, who ate every strike Ferguson had to offer before succumbing to his patented D’Arce choke.
Unfortunately for Ferguson, who is known to push the pace and challenge opponents to sling leather and tire themselves out, RDA is probably the last lightweight in the world you want to corner and force to fire. As a guy who looks to close the gap, push opponents back up against the cage and batter them with powerful combinations of all shapes and sizes, dos Anjos will be salivating if Ferguson comes out of the gate hot.
That’s why “El Cucuy” must remain patient early and pace his own aggression. If he can do that, he could put himself in a good position later in the fight when RDA slows down and offers more openings on the feet.
