Tony Ferguson is getting ready to return to the Octagon and make sure that he can still compete at the championship level in the UFC. Last year right now, Ferguson was supposed to be heading into a Lightweight title fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, the pandemic played spoil-sport and Justin Gaethje filled in for Nurmagomedov.

Gaethje would beat Ferguson in their interim title bout with relative ease, ending one of the longest winning streaks in UFC’s Lightweight history. Ferguson would return to try and redeem himself against Charles Oliveira and fell to a similar one-sided loss. Now he is heading into battle against Beneil Dariush, and this is what is on his mind.

This seems to be a pretty open comment on how Ferguson has been treated by the media over the years. From reporting on his mental health struggles to counting him out completely from the title picture, Ferguson has a lot to be mad about. He has lost fans over the last year and is now looking to re-establish himself in a division full of sharks.

Tony Ferguson: How does fight with Dariush impact his future?

In all honesty, the Beneil Dariush fight may be the most important fight Tony Ferguson has had in a long time. While he fought Gaethje to get a title shot, the air around this is different. No one doubted Ferguson heading into the fight. In fact, many people had him as the favorite heading into that bout.

However, now people are counting the days of fresh talent replacing Ferguson. Dariush is just an example. Considering how people wanted him to face someone like Islam Makhachev, this may not be the best matchup. After all, Dariush is a comparatively easier fight. If Ferguson loses this, people will count him out even more than they already are.

READ MORE: ‘Help Him Retire’- Islam Makhachev Wants Dream Fight Against Tony Ferguson

It is almost impossible to recover from a three-fight losing streak and returning as the top fighter in the division. If Ferguson loses this fight, his title dreams may be left unachieved. But if he does win this fight, he is back in the running amongst the best of the division.

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