Ferguson taps Lee in 3rd round to win UFC interim lightweight title
Tony Ferguson rose to the occasion in a fight he'd been coveting for months.
After two-plus rounds of back-and-forth action, the 33-year-old submitted Kevin Lee with a triangle choke to win the UFC interim lightweight crown in the third round of UFC 216's main event in Las Vegas on Saturday.
EL CUCUY! Tony Ferguson submits Kevin Lee in the 3rd round via triangle. #AndNew #UFC216 pic.twitter.com/2uRdPXb2dS
— Ahmar Khan (@AhmarSKhan) October 8, 2017
Ferguson's division-best 10th straight victory got him his first taste of UFC gold - seven months after a title bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov fell through at the 11th hour - and presumably puts him in line for a championship unification bout with undisputed king Conor McGregor, a fight "El Cucuy" called for in his postfight interview.
They exchange knock downs in round 1!! #UFC216 pic.twitter.com/rxOjvN2Jvi
— UFC (@ufc) October 8, 2017
It looked like Lee - who later admitted he fought through a staph infection - would be the one challenging the Irishman on the mic after Round 1, as he ended up in the dominant position off an early scramble after trading knockdowns with Ferguson, then transitioned to full mount and rained hellfire on Ferguson's dome to close it out.
Unfortunately for "The Motown Phenom," his gas tank wouldn't join him for the second round, allowing Ferguson to settle into a rhythm and find a home for his unorthodox striking techniques to make them even on the scorecards after two.
The pair incessantly exchanged words in addition to leather through the sophomore frame, with Ferguson getting the last barb in before the start of the third.
"This is my mat, not yours. This is mine." @TonyFergusonXT in between rounds ..#UFC216 pic.twitter.com/dpkhjIhOaB
— UFC (@ufc) October 8, 2017
Lee resorted to his first-rate wrestling and brought the action to the ground twice in Round 3, but Ferguson ultimately proved the mat was indeed his, following an armbar attempt with a smooth transition to the triangle that sealed Lee's fate at the 4:02 mark.
For all the acid he and Ferguson traded leading up to the grudge match, a visibly (and understandably) emotional Lee owned the loss immediately afterwards, and saw his stock rise nonetheless in a fight that lived up to its top billing. The 25-year-old's five-fight win streak was snapped with the first tapout loss of his blossoming career, bringing his UFC record to 9-3.