UFC 216: Kevin Lee and Tony Ferguson to Headline, Paige VanZant to face Jessica Eye
The owner of the longest winning streak in the UFC lightweight division finally gets his shot at gold when No. 2 Tony Ferguson collides with one of the sport’s most exciting young stars for the division’s interim title.
No. 7 Kevin Lee has the same aspirations, while ultimately staring down the road at a potential unification bout against current champion Conor McGregor. In the co-main event, No. 2 heavyweight Fabricio Werdum looks to get back in the title hunt when he clashes with knockout artist No. 6 Derrick Lewis. UFC 216: FERGUSON vs. LEE takes place on Saturday, Oct. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event will air live on Pay-Per-View.
Currently on a nine-fight win streak, Ferguson (23-3, fighting out of Orange County, Calif.) believes a title shot has been a long time coming. During his streak, “El Cucuy” has racked up post-fight bonuses in each of his last five bouts, including Fight of the Night honors in his most recent win against former lightweight champion, Rafael Dos Anjos.
Ferguson is primed to capitalize on the opportunity and be a part of history. Standing in his way is the always dangerous Lee (16-2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.). Though nine years younger than his foe, Lee has shown tremendous growth every time he enters the Octagon®, including a first-round submission win in his most recent bout against the then No. 7 Michael Chiesa.
At 40 years old, Werdum (21-7-1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) is one of the best mixed martial artists ever. The former UFC champion has defeated some of the best heavyweights in history, with wins over Cain Velazquez, Alistair Overeem and Fedor Emelianenko, and is preparing for yet another title run.
Clashing with the always dangerous Lewis (18-5, fighting out of Houston, Texas) will be no easy task. With 16 of his 18 victories coming by way of knockout, including top contenders Travis Browne and Roy Nelson, Lewis is looking to get back on the winning track after his first loss in seven bouts, and reestablish himself as a title contender.
Two of the UFC’s most popular female fighters look to revitalize their careers by moving to the women’s flyweight division. No. 10 strawweight Paige VanZant (7-3, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) is renowned for her all-around athleticism and is an electrifying performer with two knockouts and two submissions on her resume. Her 125-pound debut will be anything but easy, as she faces veteran Jessica Eye (11-6, 1NC, fighting out of Cleveland, Ohio).
Hoping the brand new division will revitalize her career, Eye has always been most comfortable fighting at 125 lbs. and is excited to compete again at her natural weight.
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