Tony Ferguson suffers 6th straight defeat as Bobby Green submits him

Bobby Green scored the biggest win of his career by submitting Tony Ferguson in the last round of their lightweight bout at UFC 291. Green dominated the striking exchanges and controlled the ground game, before locking in an arm triangle choke that rendered Ferguson unconscious at 4:54 of Round 3.

The fight started with Green using his speed and movement to land quick punches and kicks on Ferguson, who tried to close the distance and take him down. Green defended well and kept the fight standing, where he had the advantage. Ferguson landed a right hand that dropped Green momentarily, but Green recovered and resumed his attack. The round was briefly paused due to an accidental eye poke by Ferguson, but Green was cleared to continue by the doctor.

The second round was more of the same, as Green outstruck Ferguson with his superior accuracy and timing. He also stuffed Ferguson’s takedown attempts and punished him with heavy ground and pound when he ended up on top. Green showed no respect for Ferguson’s guard and landed some vicious elbows and punches that bloodied Ferguson’s face.

The third round was the most competitive one, as Ferguson showed his trademark toughness and heart by walking forward and throwing bombs. He connected with a few solid shots that rocked Green, but Green fired back with his own combinations. Ferguson tried to roll for a leg lock, but Green escaped and took his back. He then transitioned to an arm triangle choke and squeezed hard until Ferguson went limp. The referee stopped the fight just before the final horn.

Green celebrated his 30th professional win and his first submission victory in over a decade. He improved his record to 30-14-1 in MMA and 11-9-1 in the UFC. He also extended his unbeaten streak to six fights, after winning four and drawing one in his previous five outings. Green is now one of the top contenders in the lightweight division, and he called out Dustin Poirier for his next fight.

Ferguson suffered his sixth straight loss, as he remains winless since 2019. He dropped his record to 25-9 in MMA and 15-7 in the UFC. He lost to some of the best fighters in the division, such as Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, Beneil Dariush, Michael Chandler, Nate Diaz, and now Green. Ferguson is still a fan favorite and a legend of the sport, but he will need to make some changes if he wants to get back to his winning ways.