A new king has been crowned in the UFC lightweight division — temporarily. In the main event at UFC 249, Justin Gaethje put on an absolute clinic against Tony Ferguson to earn him the UFC interim lightweight championship.
In front of an empty Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gaethje fought an almost flawless fight against the number one ranked lightweight in the world Ferguson. He picked “El Cucuy” apart with punches and well-checked leg kicks.
After bloodying Ferguson up for four and a half rounds, Gaethje stunned the former interim champ with a left hand, followed by another left hand that forced referee Herb Dean to stop the action at the 3:39 mark of the fifth round.