Paddy Pimblett: ‘I Beat A Legend’

“That was the biggest win of my career”

Paddy Pimblett defeated Tony Ferguson this past Saturday at UFC 296, capturing the most significant bout of his career by unanimous decision.

“That was the biggest win of my career,” said Pimblett. “I beat a legend that is going to end up in the UFC Hall of Fame.”

Paddy Pimblett defeated Tony Ferguson for his seventh straight victory / Courtesy Zuffa LLC

The victory marked the seventh straight for Pimblett (21-3), who has won all five of his UFC fights. This one was particularly meaningful, especially after his last fight a year ago when he narrowly defeated Jared Gordon. He left no doubt against Ferguson, chopping away with calf kicks in the opening round before coming precariously close to ending the bout by TKO after a barrage of right hands.

“I’m disappointed I didn’t get him out of there in the first round,” said Pimblett. “At the same time, I’m happy with myself. I blew my load in the first round, then still dominated rounds two and three.

“The calf kicks were important. We were practicing so much of that in camp. All the game planning with my coaches, it all came together. I dominated the fight and won every single round.”

Paddy pays his respect to Tony after 3 hard rounds back and forth 👏 #UFC296 pic.twitter.com/PoXiMGVLnY

— UFC (@ufc) December 17, 2023

Ferguson (25-10) is headed in an opposite direction, as the MMA icon has now lost seven fights in a row. Yet the performance was still important for Pimblett, who showcased his range and depth as a mixed martial artist.

The only issue for Pimblett arose in the third round. After Ferguson landed a shot that made his nose bleed in the second round, Pimblett looked exhausted in the third, which was the result of blood in his throat.

“That made it hard to breathe,” said Pimblett, who fixed the issue by swallowing the blood. “Still, he couldn’t stop me from taking him down, getting on top of him, and ground-and-pounding him.”

Pimblett won all three scorecards, 30-27, against Ferguson / Courtesy Zuffa LLC

Next for Pimblett should be a top-15 ranked opponent from the heralded lightweight division. With his pregnant wife set to give birth this spring, it is likely Pimblett will step back into the Octagon this summer.

“It would be nice to have a top 15 opponent,” said Pimblett. “I wanted to fight on UFC 300, but that’s in April when my missus is due, and I won’t be fighting until after my twins are born.

“I’ve heard rumors of a card in Manchester in July, which is only 30 minutes away from my house, so I’ll probably end up fighting then. But I’m looking forward to spending time with my newborn babies.”

Courtesy Zuffa LLC

Even without the finish, Pimblett was pleased with his performance at 296. He also liked his new look featuring cornrows–which he wore for a very specific reason.

“The way my hair bounces, it made it look like I was getting hit harder than I was,” said Pimblett. “I’m sick and tired of hearing people saying, ‘That shot rocked him.’ That’s why I got cornrows. You can hit me with a f------ sledgehammer and I’ll keep moving forward. People thought these jabs were rocking me when they weren’t.

“It’s funny. When I was a kid, I’d always put my character in FIFA and UFC games with cornrows. Now I’m doing it in real life.”