Tony Ferguson suffered his very first defeat since 2012, and he has the scars to show it. Judging by those injuries, it seems like it will be awhile before we see El Cucuy make his way back to the Octagon.

Ferguson took on Gaethje at the much-awaited UFC 249, stopping him in the final round and grabbing the interim UFC lightweight title for himself.

Justin Gaethje ended Ferguson’s 8 year-long winning streak with his impeccable timing and precise counter-attacks. Most fans expected Gaethje to gas out towards the end of the fight. However, they could not have been more wrong.

Throughout the fight, Gaethje landed 143 (out of 197) significant strikes with 72.6% striking accuracy. And Ferguson’s face indeed told the tale of The Highlight’s distinguished attacking form.

It seems like Gaethje’s staggering win against Ferguson has caused an enduring shift in the dynamics of the lightweight division in the UFC.

After receiving a bruising from Gaethje, Ferguson was rushed to the hospital. The check-up revealed a broken eye-socket, reports Yahoo! Sports.

Justin Gaethje puts-on career-best performance against Tony Ferguson

Gaethje came into the fight brimming with confidence and adrenaline and put forth his best performance yet. However, many feel that Ferguson was far from his peak. Ferguson paid the price for failing to show his diverse and dynamic skill-set, which has brought him periodic success in the past.

Fans and MMA buffs, including Dana White, have come up with an explanation to justify El Cucuy’s lackluster performance against Gaethje. Ferguson insisted to make weight ahead of his initial fight against Khabib on April 18, even though the event was scrapped.

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Ferguson reportedly cut more than 20lbs to meet the lightweight limit of 155lbs. To cut that much weight twice within a month is a considerable feat. However, it does takes a toll on the body.

“I don’t want to take anything away from Gaethje. He fought an incredible fight, but I thought Tony looked off tonight. I thought he looked slow, and I would have to imagine that cutting weight twice in a month will affect you. So I don’t know if that’s it or what,” said the UFC President.

White also lauds Ferguson’s resilience and toughness. However, he adds that the fight could have been stopped earlier.

Ferguson, on the other hand, claims that the fight was brought to an end too soon, even though every punch from Gaethje left him wobbling.

“I would’ve much rather got finished instead of having somebody step in. It was a long camp. The weight cut had nothing to do with it. Justin’s a tough son of a b***h, I’ll be real,” said Ferguson.

Ferguson looks forward to making a comeback. However, the injury will force him to stay shelved for the foreseeable future. One must also consider that at the age of 36, the clock is ticking against El Cucuy.

Do you think he still has a chance to contest for the coveted lightweight title?