Conor McGregor vs Khabib next opponent: Tony Ferguson defeats Anthony Pettis and calls for title shot

Ferguson maintained his win streak and will now likely face the winner of the main event

Sunday 07 October 2018 04:52 BST
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Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov deliver press conference ahead of fight

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Former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson set up a potential title shot against either Khabib Nurmagomedov or Conor McGregor with a stunning win over Anthony Pettis at UFC 229 that is surely a contender for fight of the year.

Ferguson – who entered the fight on an impressive 10-fight win streak – suffered a significant leg injury early into the fight, with Pettis targeting his opponent with low kicks.

The heavy leg kick left Ferguson limping and struggling to move smoothly, but he courageously battled back into the fight.

Ferguson gamely continued pressing forward, suffocating Pettis and landing some big punches before the end of the first round, including an explosive flying strike from off the cage.

However the fight dramatically swung back in Pettis’ favour at the start of the second. A heavy strike left Ferguson rocked and in desperate trouble, yet he managed to survive the onslaught, clinging on until the referee was forced to temporarily halt the contest as doctors checked the severity of cuts suffered by both men.

And Ferguson’s victory came at the end of the second, when Pettis’ trainer prevented his fighter from starting the third round after learning his man had suffered a broken hand in the punishing second round.

After the fight Ferguson immediately called for a title shot with the winner of the UFC 229 main event.

“Where you at McNuggets – you f****** piece of s***?” he said.

Follow LIVE coverage of UFC 229, including Khabib vs McGregor, the main event of the evening.

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