Paddy Pimblett (20-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is making a comeback to the octagon after a year-long hiatus to face former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson (25-9 MMA, 15-7 UFC) at a UFC 296 pay-per-view main card this Saturday.
Expressing his admiration for Ferguson, Pimblett acknowledged the honor of facing one of the best lightweights in MMA history during the UFC 296 media day.
"The Baddy" also shared how he has followed Ferguson's career since his early training days at 15-16 years old and described the bout as a classic case of "when your heroes become your rivals."
"Even I want to see Tony go out on a win, but I can't let him do it at my expense, lad. It's not happening," he said.
Despite his respect for Ferguson, the 28-year-old revealed that he had not received the same level of respect from Ferguson. In the weeks leading up to the fight, Ferguson blocked Pimblett's Instagram account.
He even said that Ferguson had called him "sensitive" for caring about it, pointing to a potential mental flaw in his opponent.
"I'm waiting for him to say I've got Dana White privilege, to be honest," Pimblett said.
"That's the one thing I haven't heard him say yet. I can't believe he said I was sensitive, though. You blocked me , mate. … A bit of a weird one. Shows I'm in his head."
The Scouser suffered a loss to Soren Bak in September 2018 but has since bounced back impressively with six consecutive victories.
While Pimblett previously called his bout with Ferguson a lose-lose situation, he remains focused on securing a solid victory to "shut a lot of haters up," especially after the controversy surrounding his split decision win over Jared Gordon in his previous outing at UFC 282.
Ferguson's struggles
During his peak, Ferguson stood as one of the premier lightweights globally. Between 2013 and 2019, "El Cucuy" amassed a 12-fight win streak at 155 pounds, securing an interim UFC belt.
Throughout his career, Ferguson has squared off against formidable opponents such as Donald Cerrone, Anthony Pettis, Edson Barboza, Kevin Lee, Bobby Green and Nate Diaz.
However, Ferguson's fortunes took a turn at UFC 249 when he suffered a setback against Justin Gaethje. Since then, he has experienced a series of defeats, entering his upcoming bout without a recent victory. Notably, the 39-year-old carries the weight of a six-fight losing streak, the second-longest in UFC history.
While it's evident that Ferguson has shown a decline in his prowess, Pimblett is still gearing up to face the best version of him.
"That's what happens when you get to that age," Pimblett said. "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."
Reflecting on past fights, Pimblett highlighted Ferguson's resilience in situations where he faced submissions from skilled opponents.
"He can go three five-, and he's still mentally tough. Look at that armbar Charles had him in and that leg lock Dariush had him in," Pimblett said.
"So if that's what he feels he needs to do to beat me, go and do it, mate. It's not going to help you on Saturday night."
As Ferguson seeks to break his losing streak, his training with fitness guru David Goggins has garnered attention. Pimblett isn't sure how much it will help Ferguson, but he's confident to have an upper hand in the mental game.
