Tony Ferguson vs. Kevin Lee Rematch Set For UFC 290

Tony Ferguson vs. Kevin Lee Rematch Set For UFC 290

Liam Lindsay|
March 18, 2023|
3

An enormous bout between former rivals Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee was just confirmed for UFC 290 on July 8 in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the T-Mobile Arena, per Helen Yee.

This bout will take place at a currently unknown weight class.

Tony Ferguson holds a professional record of 25-8 (15-6 UFC) and notable wins over Edson Barboza, Rafael Dos Anjos, and Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. He is unranked at Lightweight.

Kevin Lee has a professional record of 19-7 (11-7 UFC) and has credible wins over Diego Sanchez, Gregor Gillespie, and Michael Chiesa. He is also unranked.

Betting odds have yet to be released.

Tony Ferguson has reached the twilight stage of his career. Once on a twelve-fight win streak, Ferguson was considered one of the most dangerous fighters in the division. However, after losing a short-notice matchup to Justin Gaethje, he's fallen to a five-fight losing streak. While still having competitive bouts against Michael Chandler and Nate Diaz, Ferguson has been winless since 2019 and was dominated by Charles Oliveira and Beniel Dariush in the process. His last bout saw him take on Diaz, and despite a decent performance compared to his previous ones, Ferguson would be submitted in the fourth round. Now outside of the rankings for the first time in years, he'll be looking to repeat the victory over Lee using his unorthodox striking and Jiu-Jitsu skills.

Tony Ferguson and Nate Diaz after their bout at UFC 279. Credits to: Jeff Botari - Zuffa LLC.
Tony Ferguson and Nate Diaz after their bout at UFC 279. Credits to: Jeff Botari - Zuffa LLC.

Kevin Lee's had some obstacles in his career as well recently. He's been suffering from both inactivity and his weight. Lee falls into a small category of fighters who are too big for Lightweight but too small for Welterweight. This has been evidenced in his bouts against Charles Oliveira, where he missed weight, and against Daniel Rodriguez, where Lee was by far the smaller man. Since the Rodriguez loss, he picked up in win in former Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov's promotion, Eagle FC, defeating Diego Sanchez by a dominant unanimous decision. Now he's back in the win column; Lee will be looking to use his wrestling and powerful striking to get revenge on Ferguson.

Kevin Lee beating Diego Sanchez in the main event of Eagle FC 46. Credits to: Ryan Loco - Eagle FC.
Kevin Lee beating Diego Sanchez in the main event of Eagle FC 46. Credits to: Ryan Loco - Eagle FC.

This is a highly anticipated rematch between two veterans of the UFC. So who do you have taking this one? As a member of the Verdict Community, let us know your prediction in the comments below.

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