Tony Ferguson (20-3) has become a force to be reckoned with in UFC's Lightweight division.
Ferguson, 31, submitted Edson Barboza (16-4) in a blood bath of a battle at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 22 Finale earlier tonight (Dec. 11, 2015) inside "The Chelsea" at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"El Cucuy" finished Barboza with a D'arce choke in the second round. The official stoppage came at 2:54. The win marks the seventh straight for the No. 7-ranked UFC Lightweight.
Ferguson immediately came forward to start the fight and he and Barboza began to mix it up. "El Cucuy" dropped and rolled for a kneebar attempt. The Brazilian defended and landed a few solid strikes. In a scramble, Ferguson landed an illegal upkick -- he was a downed opponent -- to Barboza's face. Referee "Big" John McCarthy halted the action, had a doctor check on Barboza and took one point from Ferguson for the infraction.
When the action restarted, Ferguson kept the pressure on. The California native attempted another rolling kneebar attack, but did not succeed. Barboza caught a kick and swept Ferguson to the canvas for a takedown, but Ferguson returned to his feet. The two fighters each landed several big strikes in the last two minutes with Barboza landing a solid spinning-back kick to the body of Ferguson.
In the second, both fighters opened up cuts on each other and began to bleed. After several big exchanges, Ferguson landed a takedown and immediately snatched a D'arce choke to get the submission win.
It was an outstanding performance by Ferguson, who continues to impress and improve each time out. Seven wins is not easy to come by in the 155-pound division. Barboza falls to 10-4 in UFC.
For complete UFC TUF 22 Finale: "Edgar vs. Mendes" results, including play-by-play, click here.