Paddy Pimblett returns with huge Tony Ferguson fight at UFC 296

Paddy Pimblett returns with huge Tony Ferguson:

Paddy Pimblett will return to the Octagon in December, facing a step-up in competition against Tony Ferguson.

“Paddy The Baddy” has not fought since December 2022, when he won a controversial decision against Jared Gordon to stay unbeaten in the UFC. Now the divisive Liverpudlian will take on Ferguson at UFC 296 on 16 December, on the undercard of Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington.

Ferguson, 39, is a former interim lightweight champion, but the American is on a six-fight losing streak, having most recently suffered a submission loss to Bobby Green in July.

Although Ferguson is no longer in the lightweight rankings, a win for Pimblett, 28, could move the Briton closer to the top 15.

In the main event at Las Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena, Pimblett’s compatriot Edwards defends the welterweight title against Colby Covington, a former interim champion in the division.

Ferguson, a former interim lightweight champion and arguably the greatest UFC fighter to have never fought for an undisputed title, is a shadow of his former self. At his peak, he put together an iconic 12-fight winning streak in MMA’s premier promotion with victories over former world champions Rafael Dos Anjos and Anthony Pettis along the way.

He was a force to be reckoned with at 155lb and many believed he was the uncrowned champion at the weight. However, five failed attempts to make the blockbuster showdown with lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov stagnated his rise and eventually, he would embark on one of the biggest falls from grace in the history of the sport.

As of now, Ferguson is on a six-battle slip, the longest dynamic series of failures in the UFC. The future Corridor of Famer looks all of his 39 years and it’s difficult to accept how great he was only a long time back while watching his latest battles.

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After his last challenge – a third-round accommodation misfortune to unranked lightweight Bobby Green – UFC fans and warriors begged Ferguson to resign. However, he currently ends up booked in to confront a 28-year-old new-to-the-scene prospect, who is 4-0 inside the Octagon.

To place things into point of view, Conor McGregor, a man Pimblett is frequently contrasted with concerning his mass allure, battled Dennis Siver in his fifth battle. A triumph there raised him into a UFC break featherweight title session against Chad Mendes in his next exposure.

Pimblett, has, been sidelined by injury since last December yet that has never prevented the UFC from tossing their warriors into testing challenges. This is as clear a sign as any that White and Co don’t accept that Pimblett is prepared to make that next stride up and aren’t willing to take a chance with an imperfection on their gold mine’s record.

Regardless of his conspicuous pulling power, Pimblett’s antagonistic choice triumph over Jared Gordon’s last break has seen his stock fall ten times. 23 of 24 MMA news sources scored the battle for Gordon and you’d be unable to find somebody who isn’t related to Pimblett that wouldn’t do likewise.

A success against Ferguson will not work on his remaining with no-nonsense fans except for might have the option to pull the fleece over the eyes of easygoing eyewitnesses. Notwithstanding it’s a horrendous battle.
El Cucuy had won 12 in a row before that, with the 39-year-old winning six in a row before then.

It remains to be seen when Ferguson could retire, with many speculating that he could look to hang up his gloves after the fight in Las Vegas.

The pair take to the Octagon on December 16th as they both seek victory in America.