6. Tony Ferguson
Tony Ferguson has won 10 fights in a row. If he wins his next one he will most likely be the new interim lightweight champion.
Much of what happens to Ferguson in 2017 will depend on what goes on with Conor’s next fight. If Conor vs Khabib in Russia is the next big fight, it would be risky for the UFC to put Khabib up against Ferguson beforehand. If Ferguson were to defeat Khabib it would put an end to any future Conor in Russia bouts. A Ferguson vs Conor title bout doesn’t have quite the same financial incentives attached to it either.
Expect Ferguson to quietly defeat every lightweight put in his path in 2017. But don’t hold your breathe on one of those lightweights being Conor.
