Former UFC champion Michael Bisping defended the controversial matchup between Tony Ferguson and Paddy Pimblett, despite the MMA community’s broad disapproval, highlighting Ferguson’s experience and resilience, and arguing that the fight places Pimblett in a ‘lose-lose’ situation given Ferguson’s recent losing streak.
The response from the MMA community to the upcoming match between Tony Ferguson and Paddy Pimblett has been largely critical. However, former UFC middleweight champion and current color commentator Michael Bisping has defended the match. Ferguson is set to face off against Pimblett at UFC 296, the final UFC pay-per-view event of 2023 on December 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Despite many fans voicing their objections, Bisping defended the matchup recently.
From Bisping’s point of view, Pimblett’s return requires a worthy opponent, and he believes Ferguson fits the bill perfectly. Ferguson, a former UFC interim lightweight champion, is known for his drive and tenacity. Bisping conveyed his perspective via his YouTube channel, stating, “Paddy Pimblett is coming back, you have to give him a credible opponent, and Tony Ferguson is a wild motherf*****. It’s as simple as that. He’s a fighter, he will fight tooth and nail. You literally have to finish Tony Ferguson to prevent him from coming forward, there’s no quit in that man.”
Ferguson, unfortunately, hasn’t won a fight in over four years, with his last victory being against Donald Cerrone in June 2019. Since then, he has been on a six-fight losing streak, and has been stopped by Michael Chandler, Nate Diaz, and Bobby Green among others. However, Bisping appreciates Ferguson’s experience and points out that despite his losses, Ferguson has held his own against some of the top fighters in his weight class. “He’s 39 years old, yes, he’s taken a lot of damage, but he’s also got a lot of experience,” Bisping said. “Against Bobby Green, he was doing OK. Nate Diaz, he was doing alright…”
Meanwhile, Pimblett is currently undefeated in the octagon and will be taking on Ferguson at UFC 296 after recovering from an ankle injury. Bisping sees the upcoming match as a tricky situation for Pimblett. If he loses, he loses to a fighter who hasn’t claimed a victory in over four years. But on the other hand, if he beats Ferguson, it would be against a fighter who’s dropped seven consecutive fights. Bisping asserts, however, that it’s not an easy fight for anyone, and respects both fighters for taking the challenge head-on.