At the UFC 278 post-fight press conference Dana White announced that Tony Ferguson will return to the octagon at UFC 279 against the #14 ranked Welterweight Li Jingliang at 170 lbs.
This fight can only be described as unexpected as Ferguson is moving up a weight class against a fighter whose name hasn't been mentioned near him since the start of his career.
Jingliang (19-7, 11-5 UFC) is coming off of one of the biggest wins of his career against Muslim Salikhov last month at UFC Long Island. Salikhov is a legend in China as he is the only foreign fighter to win the highest level Kung Fu competition in the nation. Jingliang described him as his hero coming into the fight and earned a 3rd-round TKO victory over him.
Ferguson's (26-7, 12-5 UFC) last fight was against Michael Chandler at UFC 274. Chandler knocked him out violently in the 2nd round with the leading KO of The Year contender, a massive front kick. The ending is not the whole story though. Ferguson came out looking as good as he ever has, dropping Chandler in the 1st and making him miss throughout the round. He won the first round on the Verdict Global Scorecard before the knockout.
Fans won't know what to expect in this fight as Ferguson is moving up a weight class against an unfamiliar foe.