UFC 296: Tony Ferguson's Former Opponent Makes Pick for Paddy Pimblett Bout
Tony Ferguson will try to avoid his seventh loss in a row when he takes on Paddy Pimblett, and one of his former opponents expects “El Cucuy” to finally get back into the win column at UFC 296.
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A former interim UFC lightweight champion, Ferguson saw an incredible 12-fight win streak end at UFC 249 when he was stopped by Justin Gaethje. That result kicked off what has now become a run of six losses where the 39-year-old has been stopped four times.
“El Cucuy” will try to end his losing streak when he faces Pimblett on the main card of UFC 296 in Las Vegas, and Bobby “King” Green is tired of hearing fans and fighters discuss whether or not Ferguson should retire after that fight.
“Everybody’s telling him to retire and stuff – he’ll retire when he wants to retire, don’t let nobody tell you different,” Green told The Schmo. “I’ve fought Tony, so I know what I was dealing with in there. And that whole entire time – even though I was kicking his a** – Tony was never giving up. He was never gonna quit, he was never gonna break.”
Green handed Ferguson his sixth-straight loss in July.
(Jeff Swinger/USA TODAY Sports)
Green was Ferguson’s most recent opponent when the pair met at UFC 291 in July, and that fight saw “King” hand the former interim champion his second submission loss in a row when he locked up an arm triangle choke late in the third round.
Ferguson’s current losing run has seen him take on some of the best lightweights on the UFC roster, and Green expects “El Cucuy” to get his first victory in more than four years when he takes on a fighter in Pimblett that is still working his way towards the division's rankings.
“He’s got that warrior spirit still. So as long as you’ve got that warrior’s spirit, go do your thing bro. And I think he’s gonna beat Paddy.”
Although it wasn’t quite as lengthy as Ferguson’s current losing streak, Green’s victory over the former interim lightweight champion did get the 37-year-old back into the win column after he had suffered back-to-back losses and saw an April matchup with Jared Gordon end in a No Contest.
Following a 33-second knockout win over Grant Dawson in the main event of a UFC Fight Night in October, “King” was scheduled to meet fellow top lightweight Dan Hooker on December 2 before Hooker was unfortunately forced to withdraw due to injury.
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