Former Champion Wants Tony Ferguson To "Stick Around" With Win At UFC 296

"Why shouldn't he continue to fight?"

Drew Beaupré | Oct 3, 2023

Former Champion Wants Tony Ferguson To "Stick Around" With Win At UFC 296 /

One UFC Hall of Famer wants to see Tony Ferguson carry on with his fighting career if he’s able to beat Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296.

“El Cucuy” is a former interim lightweight champion and put together an incredible 12-fight win streak at one point in his UFC career, but he’s now lost six-straight fights dating back to his meeting with Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC 249.

Ferguson is now set to take on Pimblett at UFC 296 in a matchup that many fans view as a welcome step down in competition, but the former titleholder is still a sizeable underdog heading into the fight. If the 39-year-old were to drop his seventh bout in a row against “The Baddy” then Bisping admits that it would be time for Ferguson to hang up his gloves.

Tony Ferguson Bobby Green — Ferguson has lost six fights in a row. :: (Jeff Swinger/USA TODAY Sports)

“Should he retire? I’ll tell you this; if he loses, I believe so,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “Even though Paddy Pimblett is a big favorite coming in, he’s a big favorite because Tony’s lost six times in a row. So the current trend is showing us that the time in the limelight, the time at the top of the food chain is over for Tony Ferguson.”

More than a few fans have suggested that snapping his six-fight losing streak against Pimblett could provide the perfect chance for Ferguson to exit the UFC on a high note, but “The Count” argues that a win at UFC 296 would indicate that the former champion still has some fight left in him.

Paddy Pimblett Jared Gordon — Pimblett has gone 4-0 since joining the UFC. :: (Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA TODAY Sports)

“If he can beat Paddy Pimblett, then I believe that he should stick around. Paddy Pimblett is a big star, he’s very popular. He’s got fantastic skills, he’s got great jiu-jitsu. And I believe Paddy has a number of ways to beat him…If Tony can somehow shock the world, shock the bookies, shock everyone that puts money on Paddy Pimblett, then why shouldn’t he continue to fight?”

“The Baddy” is unbeaten in the UFC since he joined the promotion from Cage Warriors in 2021. Pimblett stopped his first three opponents before he most recently took a controversial unanimous decision over Jared Gordon at UFC 282.

Ferguson will provide the biggest test of Pimblett’s career when the pair meet at UFC 296, and “El Cucuy” won’t be the only UFC veteran looking to beat the odds against a young up-and-comer at that event. The night’s main card will also feature two-time welterweight title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Vicente Luque taking on Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry, who are both unbeaten in their careers and have stormed up the UFC’s welterweight rankings.

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Published Oct 3, 2023