Paddy Pimblett believes Tony Ferguson is the only one who could benefit from their lightweight fight at UFC 296 next month. With his four-fight winning streak and Ferguson’s six-fight losing streak, Pimblett thinks his possible victory would be welcomed with invalidation.
Despite his last bout being in December 2022, Pimblett would be coming back to the cage with four successful victories over his earlier opponents. His last fight was against Jared Gordon via unanimous decision. Meanwhile, his three earlier bouts were more impressive, allowing him to win via two submissions and one brutal KO.
Ferguson, the other hand, would be facing his next opponent with a heavy six losses from his earlier fights, with his last being against Bobby Green in July. Unfortunately, these recent losses via KO and submission further drag his name down.
While these details translate to an opponent that could be easily taken down, Pimblett finds Ferguson’s current record less impressive. According to The Baddy, this makes beating the opponent less impactful in the eyes of the audience.
“This is a lose-lose situation for me because when I beat him, people are going to be like, ‘Tony was finished anyway,” Pimblett told ESPN. “He needed to retire anyway.’ But if the unthinkable happens and I do lose, I’ve been beaten by a finished Tony Ferguson.”
Despite that, Pimblett stressed that this is not a sufficient reason not to take the fight, saying he takes “whatever fight gets offered.” Also, despite Ferguson’s current record, Pimblett said a bout against the former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion is an honor, adding the opponent still has something to offer.
“It’s a big fight,” Pimblett said. “The biggest fight of my life, fighting an absolute legend of the sport. He’s one of the top five lightweights of all time. He went on a 12-fight win streak. He’s a brilliant fighter. He’s got a great personality, as well, so I can’t wait to share the octagon with such a legend.
“He’s a very dangerous guy. He can finish anyone. Even in the fights that he’s lost on the six-fight losing streak, he nearly finished Justin Gaethje in the second round, nearly finished Michael Chandler in the first round. He dropped Bobby Green in the first round. So it’s not as if in all of these fights he’s being absolutely dominated.”
