Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje are praising one another, which surprised the media and the fans who were expecting chaos before their fight. Instead of a heated trash talk which we used to see in cases like these, the two rivals decided to have an alternative approach.
Kind Words on Both Sides
The UFC 249 is about to kick off, and the fans can’t wait for this to happen. The main event between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje creates a lot of tensions in the MMA community, but the two fighters aren’t the ones who are causing this. Quite the opposite, they are showing a lot of respect to one another.
Gaethje started first, saying that he respects Ferguson a lot. The younger fighter did say that he is going to win and take the interim belt, but while talking, admitted that Ferguson is one of the best possible opponents he could get. Gaethje spoke about his incredible mental power and his relentless mindset inside the octagon, adding that there aren’t many fighters like Ferguson.
“For me, before I was fighting him and after, he’s the epitome of a UFC athlete.,” Gaethje said.
On the other side, Ferguson, who’s been known as someone who likes to increase the temperature before the fight, start all sorts of mind games, returned the favor to his opponent.
“Dude is an awesome guy,” the 36-year old said. “They call him the human highlight for a reason.”
When comparing this and the way he spoke about Khabib Nurmagomedov, we might think that there are two different persons, but it is not the case.
What is the reason for such a quiet and cautious approach from both sides, we don’t know. Is it avoiding the pressure from the media and public or a mind game just with a different method we really don’t know.
Some are suggesting that all the circumstances surrounding the fight and the fact that there were numerous changes, starting with one of the participants, then the venues and everything else, forced both Gaethje and El Cucuy to be mindful. The stakes are high, and then again, nobody wants to have an additional pressure coming into the octagon.
Ferguson a Slight Favorite According to Oddsmakers
Right now, the moneyline on Ferguson is -175, while on the other side, in Gaethje is +150. Gaethje has three wins in a row, all of them via first-round KO, but still, much more is needed to be the favorite against Ferguson.
El Cucuy has 12 straight victories, and is without a loss for more than eight years. During that time, he would defeat many big names such as Kevin Lee, Rafael dos Anjos, Anthony Pettis, Donald Cerrone, etc. It is no wonder why many believe he might be the only guy who is capable of stopping Khabib.
As for Gaethje, this is the moment of his life. The toughest possible test is put ahead of him, and he had short notice to prepare for it. If, by any chance, he upsets Ferguson, it will be one of the biggest surprises in the last decade. So the Highlight needs to give his best.
