UFC on Fox 3 Results: What We Learned from Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson

On the final fight on the Fuel TV portion of the UFC on Fox 3 card in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Tony Ferguson and Michael Johnson had a solid fight, which consisted of 15 minutes of stand-up action between the two former Ultimate Fighter contestants.

Johnson was getting the edge throughout the lightweight clash, and earned the unanimous decision, 30-27 on all three judges' scorecards.

Here's what we learned from the bout.

What we'll remember about this fight

Probably the frenetic finish at the end by Johnson. If not that, then everyone will definitely remember the vast improvement of Johnson's striking game.

He was able to out-strike and drop Ferguson, and showed that he is getting better and more well-rounded as a fighter.

What we learned about Tony Ferguson:

Ferguson may not be everything that we cracked him up to be. He earned a victory over Yves Edwards, but when taking another step up in competition, he was outclassed completely.

He needs to work on making his striking flow, by throwing more combos and looking for power shots a little bit less.

What we learned about Michael Johnson:

He's evolving as a fighter, and, again, his striking is looking better and better.

Ferguson is a guy who is known for his hands, and Johnson was able to handle him with ease and pull out the unanimous decision. With a 3-2 record in the Octagon, he's not at the top of the lightweight division, but it appears he's ready to start a run up the ladder.

What's next for Ferguson:

Perhaps a matchup with the loser of the upcoming Rafael dos Anjos-Kamal Shalorus matchup.

What's next for Johnson:

Johnson is now on a two-fight win streak, and so is Evan Dunham. A fight between those two could show who's ready to take the next step in the lightweight division.

Tim McTiernan is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. For the latest news on everything MMA, follow him on twitter @TimMcTiernan.