On Saturday night in Mexico City, Tony Ferguson broke a UFC record. He defeated Rafael dos Anjos—outdueled him, really—and in doing so, became the first UFC lightweight ever to win nine straight fights. 

In most sports, nine straight victories is, you know, nice. In MMA, it’s damn well epic. In the 20-plus-year history of the UFC, streaks of that length have been accomplished less than 10 times. Some of the names who’ve done it: Anderson Silva, Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre, Royce Gracie. Legends, mostly, and now Ferguson has joined them.

While his achievement came somewhat quietly, it is fairly awing to consider that no 155-pounder—not B.J. Penn or Frankie Edgar or Benson Henderson—had ever gotten there before.

Ferguson is the first and the only, and given that historic accomplishment, along with the win over former champion dos Anjos, you might think he would be a shoo-in for the next lightweight title shot. Of course, he’s nothing of the sort.

Instead, his prize is waiting. Instead, he’s just another fighter sucked into the ever-expanding vortex of Conor McGregor, forcing him to wait and see what happens at UFC 205 and its aftermath before the cloudiness around his future will lift.

While Ferguson (22-3) didn’t help himself by whiffing on his post-fight interview—“Thank you for the fight and Viva Mexico,” were his sole comments to the live audience before walking away from interviewer Jon Anik—his performance firmly stamped him as a threat to whoever might have the belt at the end of next weekend, whether it’s McGregor or current champ Eddie Alvarez.

Using a wide mix of both conventional and unorthodox strikes to go with hellacious pacing, Ferguson earned the most meaningful win of his career by matching and exceeding the pressure of one of the division’s highest-pressure fighters. According to FightMetric, Ferguson landed 157 of 327 strikes, easily outpacing dos Anjos (100 of 232). This in a fight that took place more than a mile above sea level. 

Indeed, it was a showcase performance, yet his award is...well, nothing aside from his win bonus. At least not yet.

MMAFighting.com @MMAFighting

Ferguson cannot do anything more than he has already done to earn a lightweight title shot.

Derek Brunson @DerekBrunson

Wow 9 wins in a row for Ferguson, 23-0 for Khabib if he wins. What a situation we have here! #UFC

To be sure, the upcoming week will have just as much bearing on Ferguson’s career as his performance in Mexico City. The only difference is that now he has no say in the outcome.

McGregor’s power in the sport has become so extensive that he has the fate of several peers in his hands when he faces Alvarez next Saturday in New York. If he wins, all bets are off. The division can go in any number of ways, from an immediate rematch with Alvarez to a trilogy bout with Nate Diaz to a faceoff with actual top contender Khabib Nurmagomedov. McGregor could also head down to featherweight to defend that belt, take a break altogether or vacate one of the belts.

Anything is possible, though the smart money is betting on the money fight between McGregor and Diaz. The new WME-IMG ownership team has shown a propensity to book based on profit ahead of merit. And there’s not a UFC fight under the sun that would draw more interest and eyeballs than a third bout between the two rivals, particularly given the excellence of the the second matchup between them.

If Alvarez wins, it’s an open field. And that’s where Ferguson erred in declining to raise his hand and demand a title bout when he had the fight world’s attention turned on him. The UFC wants fighters who are going to speak up and promote and build an event. Ferguson can fight like a demon but does it under a low profile, and when the UFC is weighing pros, cons and intangibles, it could be the difference between the opportunity of a lifetime and running in place.

From a skills standpoint at least, Ferguson is right there. He has length and power, boasts an artful striking game and exceptional wrestling, and has an unpredictability about him that makes him a joy to watch. He switches stances and tries unconventional techniques in dangerous spots, has the guts to fight in the pocket and the smarts to work from the outside. 

Beyond that, he has an indomitable spirit nearly every championship-level fighter possesses. Fighting at 7,380 feet above sea level, Ferguson never slowed down to take an extra breath. It was all go, all in, all night. 

If you were looking for a difference between Ferguson and dos Anjos, that was it. Just a few short months ago, dos Anjos had the reputation as one of the most relentless lightweights walking the planet. Ferguson walked right into the fire and proved he burned hotter and brighter. It was a great result, and hopefully it won’t be a meaningless one. Because how valuable is a streak without a title shot to go along with it?

On a night where elevation was a common topic, Tony Ferguson’s record-breaking performance was enough to move him to the top of the division. Instead, his reward is a spot on the waiting list. At least the line is short, and next week the queue begins moving.