Tony Ferguson Is the Lightweight Contender No One Is Talking About

A grand UFC fight week is underway. Three events with several top-10-ranked matchups are flooding Las Vegas, and the downside is that some fights are being overlooked during this time of excitement. One of those fights is No. 7-ranked lightweight contender Tony Ferguson (19-3) vs. No. 6-ranked Edson Barboza (16-3).

The fight was originally supposed to pit Ferguson against No. 3-ranked Khabib Nurmagomedov, but an injury forced Nurmagomedov off the card. Regardless, the fight will still be a top-10-level matchup with possible title implications.

Especially for Ferguson. And next to nobody is discussing that possibility.

Ferguson is everything you would want from a contender: well-rounded, exciting, finishes fights and active. It's a rarity in the lightweight division these days.

“El Cucuy” has yet to break into the top five, but he holds the third-longest win streak in the division at six. Only upcoming title challenger Donald Cerrone (8) and Nurmagomedov (22) have longer active streaks. And it is not as if Ferguson has padded his streak with mediocre competition. He has fought very talented opponents and finished four of them.

Rank	Fighter	Win Streak	Last Fight
1	Anthony Pettis	0	L - Rafael dos Anjos, Decision
2	Donald Cerrone	8	W - John Makdessi, TKO
3	Khabib Nurmagomedov	22	W - Rafael dos Anjos, Decision
4	Eddie Alvarez	1	W - Gilbert Melendez, Decision
5	Michael Johnson	0	L - Beneil Dariush, Decision
6	Edson Barboza	1	W - Paul Felder, Decision
7	Tony Ferguson	6	W - Josh Thomson, TKO
8	Beneil Dariush	5	W - Michael Johnson, Decision
9	Myles Jury	0	L - Donald Cerrone, Decision
10	Al Iaquinta	4	W - Jorge Masvidal, Decision

Ferguson is coming off a destruction of Josh Thomson back in July—a fight Ferguson told Damon Martin of Fox Sports wasn't even his best work:

"

Josh was a perfect opportunity for me to go out and demonstrate a lot of the practice that I needed to get. I didn't really give a s--t who was watching it. You guys all got a good treat because I was fighting, but I was actually practicing for my next fight.

"

A freighting assertion.

If Ferguson truly has not reached his peak, then he is a serious threat to dethrone whoever the champion may be after Rafael dos Anjos defends against Cerrone on December 19. And when looking at the possible title contenders waiting in line, Ferguson's name stands out already, but an emphatic win over Barboza could highlight it even more.

From a promotional aspect, Ferguson should be everything the UFC wants in a contender.

The UFC can point to Ferguson as an alum of The Ultimate Fighter who made his way up the ladder—an increasingly scarce example it can use to validate its reality series. And Ferguson isn't one to shy away from a microphone. He can sell himself and the fight when given the opportunity.

Ferguson has a great chance to cement his claim to being next in line with a win over Barboza, and no one is talking about it. The UFC could be promoting his comeuppance better as a key part of its big fight week.

Even with a week of massive fight after massive fight, do not let this one slip through the cracks. You could be witnessing the next UFC lightweight champion of the world in action when Ferguson steps through the cage doors at The Ultimate Fighter 22 finale.