26 September 2023 , 09:14
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Paddy Pimblett has been named a massive favourite for his UFC comeback fight against former interim world champion Tony Ferguson in Las Vegas this December.
The Scouse lightweight was injured during his controversial decision win over Jared Gordon in December of last year, and has been out of action ever since. But he will make his comeback almost a year to the day at UFC 296, which is headlined by fellow Brit Leon Edwards' welterweight title defence against Colby Covington.
And with Ferguson currently riding a six-fight losing streak that has lasted for over three years, bookies are giving Pimblett a considerable chance of victory. The American was once a fearsome interim world champion who many felt would have been the man to dethrone Khabib Nurmagomedov, but lost his belt in the UFC's first covid-era event, and hasn't won since.
Many bookies in America are pricing Pimblett at -280, which would put him at around 4/11 with British bookmakers who are not yet taking bets. Meanwhile, Ferguson is a massive +240 underdog, or around 12/5 in fractional terms after being stopped four times in those six defeats.
A number of fans and experts have called for the American to retire after many of his high-profile losses, most notably the vicious second round knockout he suffered last year against Michael Chandler. He was head-kicked to the point of his face being almost rearranged, but returned just a few months later when he was submitted by Nate Diaz, before losing to Bobby Green this July.
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However, Pimblett would be the least battle-tested of his six recent opponents, with many feeling he lost his UFC 282 fight with Gordon last year. The Brit was outstruck for large portions of the bout, and fans were outraged when the scorecards all read that he had won by two rounds to three, which he vehemently defended on the night before later taking a more humble tact.
Ferguson, on the other hand, has fought a relatively high level of competition in his lengthy losing streak. Four of his opponents; Nate Diaz, Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler have all either held or fought for the UFC title, while Beneil Dariush is still a top contender and Bobby Green has fought the likes of current champion Islam Makhachev.