Kevin Lee tror inte Tony Ferguson någonsin kommer vara densamma efter knäskadan

Tony Ferguson var tvungen att dra sig ur titelmatchen mot Khabib Nurmagomedov på UFC 223 på grund av en knäskada. Han har nu opererat knät och i en uppdatering på Instagram visar han upp en bild på ärret och hälsar sina fans att han kämpar för att snart vara tillbaka i Oktagonen.

“Keep Fighting” I Can’t Say Its Going To Be Easy… But I Will Say Everything In My Life Has Prepared Me For This Test. Whatever You Are Going Through Remember Someone Has It Worse… Thank You Everyone For The Thoughts & Prayers…Real Talk. #TeamElCucuy I Hate Sitting On The Sidelines, but “belt or no belt I won’t allow that to define me…” This Is #MyRoadToRecoveryXT #TonyFergusonMMA SnapJitsu™ #SnapDownCity 🙏😌 🇺🇸🏆🇲🇽 -Champ

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“Meet THOR” 🔨PhotoMedicine From My Fight Fam🔨Made The Trip From Las Vegas To Make Sure I Was Good In Cali After Surgery 🙏🤓 Follow & Visit @complete_health_well & Keep Up W/ Me On #MyRoadToRecoveryXT #TonyFergusonMMA SnapJitsu™ #SnapDownCity #TeamElCucuy Our Mat. 🇺🇸🏆🇲🇽

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Fergusons tidigare motståndare, Kevin Lee, tror dock inte att ”El Cucuy” någonsin kommer att vara densamma efter sin knäskada. Så här sa han i en intervju med Joe Rogan i måndags.

I feel bad for the guy, I really do. I don’t think he’ll ever be the same coming off that one. That’s huge, especially at 34 (years old), to try and come back off that. And it kind of sucks for me, too, because I think I fought the best Tony Ferguson that you’re gonna see, period, really.

Ferguson anses av många vara en av de fighters som ligger närmast en titelfight mot mästaren Nurmagomedov. Lee tror dock att knäskadan kan komma att bli ett mentalt hinder för Ferguson i framtiden.

He’ll come back and he’ll still beat great guys. He’s still gonna do very good. But I don’t think he’ll be the same. I think the body can come back, it’s just I don’t know if his mind will let him be as free (because) that was one of Tony’s biggest assets. He just does whatever the f—k he wants, and now, when he gets back in there, is he gonna be thinking about his knee? Even if that’s at the back of your mind, it’s limited to that type of style that he likes to fight.

Lee besegrade senast Edson Barboza via TKO i 5:e ronden på UFC Fight Night i Atlantic City.