Paddy Pimblett has a big name opponent for his next fight against Tony Ferguson at UFC 296 in Las Vegas on December 16th, but the rising star is struggling to see the up-side for him in this particular match-up.
”I don’t even know because obviously he’s lost six in a row,” Pimblett said on the ‘Energized Show.’ “But they’re all big names, they’re all very good names apart from Bobby Green. So I don’t know. I really don’t. As I’ve said plenty of times, I see this as a lose-lose fight for me because if I did lose, people will be like, ‘Oh, you got beat by a washed Tony.’
“And when I win, people are going to be like, ‘Oh, Tony was washed anyway. It doesn’t matter.’ Even though I’m seeing everyone online picking Tony to beat me, I know for a fact, even when I win, I’m not going to get any credit.”
Pimblett is also still living under the shadow of a lackluster performance in his last fight against Jared Gordon, which he only narrowly, and somewhat controversially in some fans minds, won by unanimous decision, and so this time out against Ferguson he’s hoping the fight turns into a memorable barnburner.
“I want a war,” Pimblett said. “I want to look like Anthony Pettis after he fought him, and I want him to look worse than Anthony Pettis after he fought him. I want a scrap, lad. I’m going to come in and throw down.”
However, Pimblett seems skeptical about Ferguson’s ability to perform at the level he once did, and questions the star’s decision to train with retired U.S. Navy Seal and ultra-endurance athlete David Goggins ahead of the fight.
“I think it’s bizarre,” Pimblett admitted. “I think it’s f****** stupid. “If there’s two things Tony’s never needed help with is his mental state — because look at the armbar with Charles [Oliveira], he didn’t stop.
“And look at his cardio. He’s never had a problem with his cardio, so I don’t understand why he’s done it.”
“He must be thinking he’s not where he was mentally a couple of years ago. That’s not the reason he’s losing fights — it’s because he got older. and he’s lost athleticism, and he’s not as fast as he once was.
“Obviously, that beatdown from Gaethje changed his whole career, and then getting knocked out by Chandler the way that he did, his brain is not the same as it was three or four years ago.”
