After nine straight wins and a near one-year break for reasons out of his control, Tony Ferguson finally gets an opportunity to wear UFC gold. The occasion comes with an asterisk, of course, as it’s an interim lightweight belt that will be at stake when he faces off with Kevin Lee in the UFC 216 main event.
This is the rare case where the interim belt’s inevitable shadow is not a bad thing; it means that current champion Conor McGregor may be in play for the winner. The Irishman acknowledged as much in a recent interview.