Former MMA referee and current Bellator commentator John McCarthy named Tony Ferguson's main problem in his fight with Paddy Pimblett, which will take place on December 16 at UFC 296:
Pimblett isn’t very good in the stand-up and he’s not a powerful puncher, but he’s fast. Speed is going to be an absolute problem for Tony in this fight. If Paddy fights smart, cycles out of range and just works for speed with his punches, he has a great chance to win this fight.
Ferguson last stepped into the octagon in July 2023 for a fight against Bobby Green at UFC 291. In that confrontation, Tony was defeated in the third round by technical submission (arm-triangle choke). He has 25 wins and nine losses on his record.
Pimblett's last fight was against Jared Gordon in December 2022 at UFC 282. In this confrontation, Paddy won by unanimous decision of the judges. He has 20 wins and three losses on his record.
The nearest numbered tournament UFC 294 will be held on October 21 in Abu Dhabi. In the main event of the evening Russian fighter Islam Makhachev will fight Brazilian Charles Oliveira.