UFC 262: Tony Ferguson vs. Beneil Dariush
Ready for Ferguson vs. Dariush Free UFC 262 Free Picks and betting odds & predictions? Here is a full breakdown of the leadup, what to expect during the fight, and some logical outcomes.
Event: UFC 262
Date: May 15th, 2021
Time: Main Card: 10 P.M. EST.
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Broadcast: PPV on ESPN+
Co-Main Event: Tony Ferguson vs. Beneil Dariush
One of the most popular figures in the sport; the mythological Tony Ferguson will fight a potential star in the Lightweight Division. The Boogeyman faces off against a hungry and well-rounded fighter in Beneil Dariush. This fight will determine whether Ferguson can rekindle the abilities that made him the most feared man in the lightweight division.
Tony (El Cucuy) Ferguson (+145)
If you browse the comment section of any MMA video or article, the most commonly referenced fighter in the world is Tony Ferguson. The subject of admiration and curiosity, Tony, his eccentric personality, and his entertaining fighting style have garnered the attention of millions of fans.
For seven years, Tony Ferguson embarked on a 13 fight win streak that nearly took the lives of 13 men. Of these 13 fights, he garnered one submission of the night bonus, three performance of the night bonuses, five fight of the night bonuses, and the capture of the interim UFC lightweight championship. That’s 450,000 dollars purely from fight bonuses.
The violence exhibited by Tony during this stretch showed why his nickname suits him so well. El Cucuy, the Boogeyman, has the conditioning of a long-distance Olympic athlete paired with the killer instinct, creativity, and technical virtuosity that can only be found in a mythical being. Tony’s extremely unorthodox style paired with an inhuman level of conditioning has forced dozens of world-class fighters to give in. He drowns his opponents with unyielding striking volume followed up by putting them to sleep with a variety of elite jiu-jitsu techniques. Tony’s ridiculous pace and volume along with his utilization of vicious elbows have resulted in post-fight pictures of his opponents that would make Ted Bundy wince.
Justin Gaethje put an end to Tony’s reign with a potential career-ending performance. Throughout the fight, Tony absorbed dozens of fight-ending power shots that would have sent any other opponent on a one-way trip to the morgue. After this severe beating for nearly 25 minutes, it is unclear whether Tony will ever fully recover. As Khabib Nurmagomedov spoke about this match, “When you take damage like [that], you will never be the same. Never ever. Not even if you’re Tony Ferguson.”
After his second loss in a row, perhaps Khabib is correct. However, Tony’s only two losses in the past nine years have come at the hands of current title challengers, two of the most elite competitors in the whole promotion. With age, athleticism fades, and at 37 years old, Ferguson may be less explosive. However, Tony’s strong suits lie within his abilities to create an impossible pace and threaten his opponents with a variety of offensive striking and grappling attacks. Tony is still capable of showing the part of his game that made him so dominant and unique.
Beneil Dariush (-170)
Riding a six-fight win streak, Beneil Dariush is approaching the biggest fight of his career, coming in at an astounding -170 favourite. Finishing four of these six wins, Beneil has established himself as a credible threat to anyone in the lightweight division.
A world champion jiu-jitsu practitioner equipped with heavy hands and good takedowns, Beneil frustrates his opponents by being a step ahead regardless of where the fight takes place. In his last fight, Dariush fought well in every area, adding a decision win against a fast and dynamic Diego Ferreira. However, he noticeably slowed down nearing the end of the third round.
Unfortunately for Beneil, Tony Ferguson is unlike any other opponent he has faced, and if the fight goes the distance, he will have a hard time surviving the onslaught of a five-round fight with a man who never stops coming forward. The deep waters of main event rounds are something that Beneil has never experienced in the UFC, whereas for Tony, he lives and breathes for these rounds. If Tony is uncompromised by the 3rd, Beneil may become yet another name on the list of men broken by the boogeyman.
Prediction
For Beneil Dariush to win, he needs to connect with hard shots consistently. He also needs to keep that pace for five rounds, because even a zombie on methamphetamines doesn’t have as much endurance or durability as Tony Ferguson. I can’t see Beneil’s jiu-jitsu being enough to submit Ferguson, and he is at a disadvantage when it comes to conditioning. I can picture Ferguson delivering enough volume and pace to make Beneil gas out and give in.
I’m refinancing my home and putting it all on Tony Ferguson. The only thing I’m genuinely worried about with this matchup is taxes, as my income is about to go to the moon.
Calling a Tony Ferguson win via mental and physical exhaustion, plus elbows that probably have razor blades in ’em.