Tony Ferguson won't get the title shot he wanted, but his next fight could put him at the front of the line for one.
First reported by TalkMMA and Champions.co, Ferguson (21-3) will take on former UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael dos Anjos in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 Finale in early November. UFC officials confirmed the news to Fightful.com on Tuesday. The fight has major implications in a lightweight division that has seen several top-10 fighters recently competing outside of 155 pounds.
The #3-ranked Ferguson is riding an 8-fight UFC win streak, and is 11-1 in the company overall. Rafael dos Anjos is coming off of a loss to Eddie Alvarez in July during UFC International Fight Week. This pairing is particularly interesting because it leads one to believe that undefeated #1-ranked Khabib Nurmagomedov will be getting a championship opportunity against Eddie Alvarez.
Ferguson was originally set to face Michael Chiesa July 13 in the main event of UFC Sioux Falls, but Chiesa withdrew due to an injured back and was replaced by Lando Vannata. Ferguson and Vannata proceeded to compete in an instant classic, fight-of-the-year candidate.
The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 will be coached by former UFC Light Heayvweight Champions Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin. The finale will take place November 5 from Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City.
