WATCH: When Tony Ferguson Threw Sand at Justin Gaethje in the Octagon

Published 05/09/2021, 9:10 AM EDT

The UFC is home to some very entertaining fighters. However, Tony Ferguson definitely wins the title of being the most entertaining fighter inside the Octagon. A man who treats wrestling like a 10-year-old treats his homework, Ferguson is a frequent appearance on multiple highlight reels.

There’s the time he rolled away from his opponent, and it somehow worked out in his favor. However, the fans got a great insight into the mindset of the coaching team of this great competitor when Ferguson was having a bad performance against Justin Gaethje.

This match was for the interim lightweight championship, and the stakes were really high. Gaethje came in with a game plan and was executing it to perfection. Ferguson was on a 12 fight winning streak, and it didn’t seem like it would continue. However, Ferguson’s corner had something special planned for Gaethje.

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Someone from Ferguson’s corner shouted, “Give me sand, give me sand!” Amazingly, Ferguson seemed to reach out for some sand on the floor of the dirtless Octagon and threw it rather flamboyantly at Gaethje’s face. He followed it up with a magician’s wave and then continued fighting like everything was normal.

It understandably was a distraction technique, but it was so bizarre that even the commentators started laughing. However, it’s all a part of the man all fans adore and respect. The distraction worked temporarily, but Ferguson ultimately lost the fight. This resulted in Gaethje getting the title shot against Khabib Nurmagomedov later that year, and Ferguson slipped again, losing to Charles Oliveira.

Tony Ferguson vs. Beneil Dariush: The tale of the tape

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Ferguson is coming back to fight on the main card of UFC 262, where he faces surging lightweight contender Beneil Dariush. There’s minimal animosity among the fighters, but fans can be assured that they will leave their animosity in the cage. Ferguson needs to win this fight, as a third loss in a row might be detrimental to his career.

However, Ferguson has taken some time off, and he looks like he is in great shape. A healthy and entertaining Ferguson is what the fans want and need. Now it’s up to him to come up big on the biggest stage again.

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Do you think Tony Ferguson can stop this losing streak against Beneil Dariush?

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson: How the Rivalry Boils Down to One Epic Showdown

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Written by:

Aniket Awasthi is a UFC author at EssentiallySports. This STEM undergraduate combines an insatiable urge to write with his admiration for MMA and the UFC in general to enhance his journalism. He calls charismatic names like Chael Sonnen and 'The Count' Michael Bisping as his favorite fighters, but he is a great admirer of the rise of Israel Adesanya ever since he fought Rob Wilkinson at UFC 221.

WATCH: When Tony Ferguson Threw Sand at Justin Gaethje in the Octagon

Tony Ferguson vs. Beneil Dariush: The tale of the tape

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