Michael Chiesa still believes Tony Ferguson is a “very dangerous fight” ahead of UFC Abu Dhabi
Michael Chiesa isn’t overlooking Tony Ferguson ahead of their fight at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
Chiesa and Ferguson are set to meet on Saturday’s main card in a pivotal fight for both of their careers. Ferguson is on a seven-fight losing streak, and Dana White has urged Ferguson to retire win or lose after Saturday’s bout.
Although Tony Ferguson is on a tough skid, Michael Chiesa believes ‘El Cucuy’ is still a dangerous fight and a tough out for anyone.
"Tony Ferguson is a very dangerous fight in any stage of his career."
Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) feels prepared to take on the most dangerous version of Tony Ferguson at #UFCAbuDhabi ‼️
— UFC News (@UFCNews) July 31, 2024
“I don’t care what anybody says, Tony Ferguson is a very, very dangerous fight in any stage of his career, whether it’s his first fight or his last fight, he is a dangerous opponent, so I have to be mentally sharp. In my time away, I addressed the biggest parts of my game that needed to be addressed and that was my mentality,” Chiesa said to the UFC.
Michael Chiesa enters the fight as the biggest betting favorite on the UFC Abu Dhabi card as he’s a -625 favorite to defeat Tony Ferguson. Yet, despite the odds, Chiesa knows Ferguson can end a fight at any moment and his unpredictability makes him so dangerous ahead of UFC Abu Dhabi.
“I’d be a fool to put stock in his last seven fights. I’m training for a guy that was on the win streak, I’m not training for the guy that people are being dismissive about. He’s still a very, very dangerous guy, he still has all the techniques in his tool bag that he had before. I’m preparing for the best Tony Ferguson, and I think I will get the best Tony Ferguson we’ve seen,” Michael Chiesa said.
Michael Chiesa is 16-7 as a pro and riding a three-fight losing streak. He’s coming off a submission loss to Kevin Holland a year ago as before that, he lost to Sean Brady by decision and Vicente Luque by submission. Before the losing skid, Chiesa was 4-0 since moving up to welterweight with wins over Carlos Condit, Diego Sanchez, Rafael dos Anjos, and Neil Magny.
