UFC 249: Justin Gaethje fires back at Tony Ferguson with bold fight prediction
Justin Gaethje will face Tony Ferguson this weekend in the main event of UFC 249.
Justin Gaethje has hit back at Tony Ferguson for branding him "one dimensional". The former World Series of Fighting lightweight champion will lock horns with 'El Cucuy' early on Sunday morning in the main event of UFC 249 in Jacksonville, Florida.
The victor of the battle of fan favourites will be crowned interim UFC lightweight champion and earn a unification fight against the division's undisputed ruler Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The build-up to Ferguson vs Gaethje has been nothing but respectful, with both men being complimentary of the other.
Ferguson, however, has irked Gaethje by making light of his overall skillset; claiming the Arizona native is a one-trick pony who can't go the distance.
That notion has somewhat annoyed Gaethje, who insists he's willing to go into deep waters to claim UFC gold.
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It makes me feel good because that one dimension he’s talking about is putting people to sleep
During an appearance on Sirius XM Radio, Gaethje said: “Hell, it makes me feel good because that one dimension he’s talking about is putting people to sleep.
"I can knock someone out in the fourth round, I haven’t been there, but I’m still throwing with the same intent, the same velocity, as I am in the first [round] in the fourth.”
Gaethje, 31, enters his maiden UFC title fight riding an impressive three-fight win streak, which has seen him knock off James Vick, Edson Barboza and Donald Cerrone.
'The Highlight' ended all three of those fights via first-round knockout and is confident the same fate will befall Ferguson.
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“He kind of shot himself in the foot because I do want it bad enough, and I will put him to sleep in the first two rounds," Gaethje added.
"If I don’t put him to sleep in the first two rounds, or first three, preferably first two, then it’s going to be a battle of will and a battle of heart - we’ll see.
"I’ve trained my mind and body to be here in these circumstances and in those situations.”
Should Gaethje fail to get the job done inside the first three rounds, he's willing to embrace the violence Ferguson brings in the later rounds.
“I said it a long time ago, I’m ready to go to Tony’s dark place," he said. "I know he has a few of them, but I’m ready to go there.”
UFC 249 fight card
Tony Ferguson vs Justin Gaethje (interim lightweight title fight)
Henry Cejudo vs Dominick Cruz (men's bantamweight title fight)
Francis Ngannou vs Jairzinho Rozenstruik (heavyweight bout)
Jeremy Stephens vs Calvin Kattar (men's featherweight bout)
Greg Hardy vs Yorgan de Castro (heavyweight bout)
Prelims
Donald Cerrone vs Anthony Pettis (welterweight bout)
Alexey Oleynik vs Fabricio Werdum (heavyweight bout)
Carla Esparza vs Michelle Waterson (women's strawweight bout)
Uriah Hall vs Ronaldo Souza (middleweight bout)
Vicente Luque vs Niko Price (welterweight bout)
Bryce Mitchell vs Charles Rosa (men's featherweight bout)
Ryan Spann vs Sam Alvey (light-heavyweight bout)