LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] is certain he has “more to give” at the top level of MMA despite his six-fight losing skid, and he intends to prove it against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296.
Ferguson’s (25-9 MMA, 15-7 UFC) slide from being interim lightweight champion on a 12-fight winning streak to competing for the stability of his career has been a highly discussed storyline in the MMA community over the past few years. He has a chance to change his fortunes on Saturday when he meets Pimblett (20-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in a pay-per-view main card bout at T-Mobile Arena, which follows prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
If Ferguson falls short at UFC 296, he will tie B.J. Penn for the longest losing skid in company history. It’s significant stakes, but Ferguson said he’s done everything right to ensure the result in his favor, from training with David Goggins to keeping himself contained in from outside scrutiny.
“I’m not sandbagging,” Ferguson told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 296 media day. “I’m here. I’m back to where I needed to be. Much better than I ever have been. I’m faster, I’m stronger, I’m more mentally strong than any f*cking person who is going to be here that walks through these f*cking cage walls. That has ever been through these cage walls. You guys will see on Saturday. It’s hardly not going to be the same me.”
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Although Ferguson, 39, has largely remained sheltered throughout training camp, some of the storylines with his opponent have seeped through as fight night draws nearer. Pimblett, 28, said at UFC 296 media day that he thought he was in the head of “El Cucuy” after Ferguson blocked him on Instagram.
Ferguson thinks Pimblett’s focus on that shows the Brit is actually the one with his mind in the wrong places.
“He’s worried about me blocking him on f*cking Instagram, and I’m like, ‘You’re a little b*tch,'” Ferguson said. “If you’re going to talk f*cking sh*t, man up and f*cking keep your balls between your legs. Don’t drop them like a little b*tch.
“I just didn’t want to see his bulls*t. I know he’s all about the YouTube and all of those things, and he’s got the f*cking wigs and the crowd and everything. I’m not here to f*cking have fun. I might’ve did that before taking some chances, giving these fighters like an alley-oop to where they’re at right now. But I’m not f*cking around anymore.”
Pimblett did hone some praise on Ferguson pre-fight by stating that he once viewed him as an “idol” and will take no pleasure in beating him. None of that resonates with Ferguson at this point, though.
Ferguson said he’s 100 percent locked in on the task at hand, and nothing will deter him from capturing his first victory since the octagon since June 2019.
“I don’t give a f*ck what he says,” Ferguson said. “If someone else were to say it I would be like, ‘That’s cool, man.’ But no. F*ck him. I don’t give a f*ck, dude. You had your chance to be nice and do this sh*t. I’m f*cking glad to know that you had a change of heart and listened to everybody else. I’m washed up. That means I’m cleaned up. Feel fresh. So this little f*ckers going to get his hands full on f*cking Saturday. He’s going to have a taste of real sh*t.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.