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UFC 216 Ferguson vs. Lee Odds & Fight Preview
When: Saturday, October 7, 2017, 10:00pm ET Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas TV: PPV Radio: None Live Stream: UFC Figth Pass UFC 216 Odds: Ferguson -220 / Lee +180 While the interim lightweight title might be a nice belt for either one of these fighters to win, they’re really fighting for a prize further down the road — a shot at Conor McGregor and the full lightweight title, as soon as McGregor thinks he is ready to get back into that Octagon.Why Bet on Kevin Lee?
Lee has been waiting for that sort of chance since he entered UFC more than three years ago. He has posted a 9-2 record so far, but none of his opponents have been particularly intimidating. He rides into UFC 216 riding a five-fight winning streak, including four stoppages in a row, but he has taken down the likes of Magomed Mustafaev, Efrain Escudero and (most recently) Michael Chiesa). While Lee was able to force the stoppage, the fight did not feature the sort of explosive strikes or moves that will give Lee the reputation that he wants. With Lee, it’s still primarily about the ceiling. He comes across with a lot of charisma, which is one reason why UFC slid him up the ranks from #7 in the lightweight lists to a shot at this interim title. In an interview with MMA Junkie, Lee exuded a lot of confidence, “When you look at it, and you say a man is tough, and that’s his biggest attribute, that ain’t good for him. That just means it’s going to take a longer ass-whooping.” Can Lee deliver on this? Or will his first bout against the higher echelons of UFC competition bring him an ass-whooping of his own? Ferguson started fighting in the Octagon back in 2011, and since then he has posted a record of 12-1. His competition includes the likes of Rafael dos Anjos, Edson Barboza and Josh Thomson — which means he has been fighting against higher-tier competition for several years now. That gives him a significant edge over Lee in terms of fight experience.What About Tony Ferguson?
At 33 years old, Ferguson is one of the lightweights who has been kept in the shadows by the long break that McGregor has taken from UFC fighting. He has been a contender for some time, taking down rivals one at a time. He has praise for Lee’s heart; as he told MMA Junkie, “Since he’s got more heart, we’re going to go in there and give you guys a ****ing show…he’s a very well-rounded fighter. He’s an athlete. But I know how to beat this kid. He’s mentally weak, like half the roster in the UFC.”
Ferguson opened as a 2-to-1 favorite for his fight with Lee. His willingness to talk trash will make him an attractive opponent, should McGregor opt to make a unification bout with the winner of Ferguson and Lee his next fight. This is one reason why that bout with Floyd Mayweather was such a good business decision for McGregor, though — no matter what the outcome would be from that fight, McGregor’s name would increase in recognition, making him a more valuable opponent on the other side of the Octagon.
