English lightweight Paddy 'The Baddy' Pimblett will make his first appearance of the year opposite former interim champion Tony Ferguson; UFC president Dana White announced the bouts on Friday night; UFC 296 takes place on December 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
Saturday 23 September 2023 08:31, UK
English lightweight Paddy 'The Baddy' Pimblett will make his first appearance of the year at UFC 296 against former interim champion and fan favourite Tony Ferguson.
UFC president Dana White announced the bouts Friday night. They will take place on December 16 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Pimblett, 28, is 4-0 in the UFC, although many observers felt he should have lost his most recent fight against Jared Gordon last December. Fighting out of Liverpool, he has been out all year due to an ankle injury he suffered during that fight.
The Liverpudlian will have a massive opportunity against Ferguson, who is regarded as one of the best lightweights of the last decade despite a six-fight skid.
In 2020, Ferguson was scheduled to challenge Khabib Nurmagomedov for the undisputed lightweight championship. The fight was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Ferguson went on to lose to Justin Gaethje. He hasn't recovered since.
Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson is knocking on the door of a title shot following a victory over Kevin Holland earlier this year. He is currently ranked No 7 in the division and is 3-2 in his past five.
Shavkat Rakhmonov has long been considered an underdog in the division despite his record. The Uzbekistani is 5-0 in the UFC with five finishes. He has actually recorded finishes in all 17 of his professional bouts and is ranked No 6 in the UFC.
A welterweight title fight between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington is scheduled to headline the UFC 296 event.
