Notable combat sports personality John McCarthy has identified what he believes to be a major concern for former interim UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson in the upcoming fight against rising star Paddy Pimblett. Ferguson is looking to end a six-fight losing streak.
Talks concerning Ferguson’s future in the sport have been triggered by his recent losing streak, which was marked by hard defeats to fighters outside the rankings and elite opposition. The tenacious “El Cucuy” is scheduled to take on Pimblett, a former Cage Warriors champion who is becoming more well-known in the UFC, in spite of calls for retirement.
John McCarthy, a former MMA referee who is now a Bellator analyst, offered insights into the dynamics of the Ferguson-Pimblett matchup on a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast. McCarthy stated that although many see this fight as a decline in competition for Ferguson, he thinks it presents a serious risk because of Pimblett’s speed advantage.
“Pimblett’s performance in the standup is lacking. He doesn’t have a lot of power punching ability. McCarthy said, “He’s faster,” in the Weighing In podcast. “I see that as Tony’s issue with this fight. Paddy moves more quickly… “If you look at (Pimblett’s wins), tell me the name of the place where you go ‘Wow!'”
McCarthy highlighted Ferguson’s speed as a major concern going into this matchup. McCarthy thinks Pimblett could pose a serious threat to Ferguson if he fights tactically and makes use of his speed advantage by staying on the outside and landing shots, even though he acknowledges that Pimblett’s recent performance against Jared Gordon may have damaged his stock.
“In this fight, speed is a major concern. Paddy has a great chance of winning the fight if he fights shrewdly, stays on his bike outside, and just uses speed to get in and land shots, McCarthy continued.
With UFC 296 set to take place in Las Vegas on December 16, all eyes will be on Ferguson to see if he can overcome any potential speed disadvantage against Pimblett. Ferguson’s future in the UFC is greatly affected by the result of this fight; CEO Dana White of the UFC has hinted that “El Cucuy’s” time with the company may come to an end in a loss. The bout turns into a turning point in Ferguson’s career, and fans can’t wait for this exciting plot to wrap up inside the Octagon.
