The Paddy Pimblett’s return to the octagon will be a fight to remember!. Their upcoming match with Tony Ferguson is one of the more significant moments in Pimblett’s career. He made it clear that Ferguson will not have an easy fight.
Fighting in UFC 296, Pimblett is stepping back into the ring for the first time in a year after his controversial bout with Jared Gordon. This match resulted in a media frenzy trying to determine the true winner and left Pimblett with an ankle injury requiring surgery, putting him on the sidelines for almost all of 2023.
Fully recovered and ready for action, Pimblett is hoping to make it 5 in a row in the lightweight division. His opponent, Tony Ferguson, has a decorated history as a former interim 155-pound champion, but has recently struggled with a six-fight losing streak.
While Pimblett wants Ferguson to find success again, he is determined that it will not happen at his expense and vows to come out victorious in this weekend’s fight.
Speaking to reporters, including The Mac Life, Pimblett expressed his admiration for Ferguson and his desire for the legendary fighter to leave on a high note. However, Pimblett emphasized that he cannot let Ferguson win against him.
“It is truly an honor to fight Tony Ferguson. He is one of the best lightweights of all time,” said Pimblett. “As a kid watching UFC at 15, 16, when I just started training, he was already in the UFC then. It’s when your heroes become your rivals.”
Pimblett continued, “I want to see Tony go out on a win, but I can’t let him do it at my expense. It’s not happening.”
Ferguson, known for his previous 12-fight win streak, has seen his success diminish in recent fights. Pimblett attributes this to aging and the natural erosion of skills over time.
“He’s 40 in a few months and I think over the years he’s relied on his athleticism and his speed to get him out of certain situations and obviously when you get to 39 you lose all that,” Pimblett explained.
Speaking to the media, Ferguson made it clear that he is not planning to go easy on Pimblett. He plans to make Pimblett feel his experience and fighting spirit.
“Got the kid nervous,” Ferguson said. “So I think it’s a great matchup. Obviously, he’s got a winning record, I’ve got a losing record right now with that, but overall I have a lot more fights and experience. I’m going to cut this kid.”
