Top 10 lightweights Tony Ferguson and Michael Johnson are set for a rematch at UFC 197.
A pivotal lightweight scrap between top contenders Tony Ferguson and Michael Johnson has been added to March’s UFC 197, which is already shaping up to be one of the biggest UFC cards in the promotion’s history. Following a report from the Los Angeles Daily News, UFC officials confirmed the news on Thursday evening.
Ferguson (20-3) is currently riding a seven-fight winning streak, which includes victories over Josh Thomson, Gleison Tibau, and Abel Trujillo. In his most recent outing late last year, “El Cucuy” picked up arguably the biggest win of his career, a submission over Edson Barboza.
Johnson (16-10) was on a hot streak throughout the past several years, but now finds himself riding a two-fight skid, with a controversial decision to Beneil Dariush and an upset loss to Nate Diaz. Like Ferguson, he also holds wins over Barboza and Tibau on his record.
Ferguson and Johnson met for the first time in 2012 with “The Menace” winning a unanimous decision, with Ferguson sustaining a broken arm during the contest. Both have transitioned from prospects to contenders since then.
Ferguson vs. Johnson II will likely take place on the pay-per-view main card.
UFC 197 takes place live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on March 5. In the main event, Rafael dos Anjos defends his lightweight strap against current 145-pound titleholder Conor McGregor in a highly anticipated super-fight. In the co-feature, UFC women’s bantamweight champ Holly Holm faces Miesha Tate in Holm’s first title defense.