Tony Ferguson jumps to welterweight, battles Li Jingliang at UFC 279

Tony Ferguson hates cutting to lightweight because it makes him look like a “skinny little bitch,” according to these comments, which is one of many reasons “El Cucuy” will return to the 170-pound weight class for his next assignment.

Where and when?

The UFC 279 pay-per-view (PPV) event on Sept. 10 in Las Vegas. Waiting to greet him will be welterweight “Leech” Li Jingliang. Their 170-pound showdown is expected to join the main card lineup on a broadcast topped by Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz.

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See the current UFC 279 fight card here.

Ferguson (25-7), now 38, has dropped four straight fights, including last May’s knockout loss against Michael Chandler. As for the 34 year-old Jingliang (19-7), he’s coming off a technical knockout victory over Muslim Salikhov just last month.

It’s hard to imagine the promotion cutting ties with Ferguson with a fifth straight loss but it may not have a choice if “El Cucuy” goes down in flames yet again. His last appearance in the welterweight division came at TUF 13 Finale back in 2011.

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 279 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

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