MMA Preview – Tony Ferguson vs Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296
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TONY FERGUSON VS PADDY PIMBLETT FACTS
When is UFC 296? Saturday 16th December, 2023 - 23:00 (UK)
Where is UFC 296? T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 296? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 296
What channel is UFC 296 on? TNT Sports Box Office (£19.99 – main card)
Where can I stream UFC 296? TNT Sports subscribers can stream the fight online via the TNT Sports website and Discovery+
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
TONY FERGUSON VS PADDY PIMBLETT LOWDOWN
Only Tony Ferguson (25-9) could survive the UFC’s Grim Reaper on a six-fight losing streak. It was unimaginable when he capped off a record lightweight win streak by knocking out Donald Cerrone (2019). Justin Gaethje (2020) took his soul and since then he succumbed to Charles Oliveira (2020), Beneil Dariush (2021), Michael Chandler (2022), Nate Diaz (2022) and Bobby Green (2023).
Paddy Pimblett (20-3) gets his big-name fight after creating a lot of noise during his four UFC wins. He knocked out Luigi Vendramini (2021) and submitted Rodrigo Vargas (2022) and Jordan Leavitt (2022) collecting three ‘Performance of the Night’ bonuses. He then earnt a unanimous decision over Jared Gordon (2022), but it was a very controversial decision and he has not fought since then which was over a year ago.
TONY FERGUSON VS PADDY PIMBLETT PREDICTION
Pimblett has not fought anyone near the level of Ferguson’s last six opponents, but there is no doubting ‘El Cucuy’ has lost his aura. He had his moments in his fights with Chandler, Diaz and Green, but the damage and weight cuts have crushed his durability.
This is the perfect fight for Pimblett or any up and comer as Ferguson is still a big name but has forgotten how to win. His chin is comprised and if Green can submit him, so can Pimblett.
He is explosive on the feet and is a very slick grappler. His defence is a glaring weakness and the scouser is there to be hit, but we have not seen enough from Ferguson to suggest he can capitalize and knock him out.
We can see Ferguson tagging Pimblett and causing problems in the scrambles, but it just does not make any sense to back him here.
Prediction: Pimblett via Decision
