TUF 22 Finale results: Tony Ferguson submits Edson Barboza in bloody thriller

Tony Ferguson

LAS VEGAS – After about 60 seconds, Tony Ferguson figured out it was painful to stand with Edson Barboza. So he did it again and again.

When Ferguson (20-3 MMA, 10-1 UFC) couldn’t surprise Barboza (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) with a wild roll into a leglock, he resorted to chasing down the Brazilian and slugging it out before he found his signature submission.

The lightweight bout was part of the main card of today’s TUF 22 Finale event at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The entire event aired on FOX Sports 1.

The finish came at the 2:54 mark of the second round when Ferguson forced Barboza to submit to a D’Arce choke, which he regularly attempts in the octagon. It was Ferguson’s seventh straight UFC victory. Only current lightweight title contender Donald Cerrone has more consecutive wins with eight.

Afterward, Ferguson asked to be the next to fight for the title. With his performance, he put forth his strongest argument to date, though he also took more cumulative damage than in any previous UFC fight. Barboza lit him up with body punches before going to the head with heavy hooks. Ferguson ate them all and kept charging, but as a strategy, it appeared to be one that would end in a setback.

Where Ferguson surged ahead was in his ability to wear Barboza down with constant pressure, landing enough strikes to get the Brazilian breathing hard by the second round. Barboza shot for a takedown out of exhaustion, and in a scramble, exposed his neck for Ferguson’s favored choke.

That was all Ferguson needed to finish the fight. And with finishing skills like that, he’s bound to get his wish sooner than later.

Up-to-the-minute TUF 22 Finale results include:

• Tony Ferguson def. Edson Barboza via submission (d’arce choke) – Round 2, 2:54
• Evan Dunham def. Joe Lauzon via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-26)
• Tatsuya Kawajiri def. Jason Knight via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Julian Erosa def. Marcin Wrzosek via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Gabriel Gonzaga def. Konstantin Erokhin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-28)
• Ryan LaFlare def. Mike Pierce via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Geane Herrera def. Joby Sanchez via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:28
• Chris Gruetzemacher def. Abner Lloveras via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

For complete coverage of the TUF 22 Finale, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s John Morgan and Steven Marrocco contributed to this report on site in Las Vegas.)