Exclusive: Paddy Pimblett 'so switched on' to face Tony Fergsuon at UFC 296, wants to 'rectify mistake' - Molly McCann
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Published 14/12/2023 at 12:41 GMT
Paddy Pimblett will be back in the octagon in Las Vegas this weekend as he takes on Tony Ferguson. It will be Pimblett's first fight since he suffered an ankle injury against Jared Gordon last December. Fellow UFC fighter Molly McCann has given her view on the fight and why she thinks Pimblett looks "so switched on" ahead of taking on the experienced Ferguson.
Molly McCann (L) and Paddy Pimblett
Image credit: Getty Images
Molly McCann thinks close friend Paddy Pimblett will be “switched on” and determined to “rectify a mistake” when he faces Tony Ferguson at UFC 296, live on TNT Sports Box Office.
Britain’s Pimblett will be fighting for the first time since suffering an ankle injury against Jared Gordon last December.
That contest was one of the more controversial in 2022, as although Pimblett won via unanimous decision to improve to 20-3, the scorecards were widely disputed.
The decision to award the win Pimblett was even booed by some fans
Speaking to TNT Sports, fellow UFC fighter McCann said Pimblett looks fully focused ahead of his return to the octagon.
“I feel like speaking for him it’s been really hard for him to have that level of performance and then how the whole world shifted on the axis,” said McCann.
“He couldn’t get in there and fight soon and fix it. He was just sitting there reading all these messages fuming. It’s been hard to watch that as a friend and part of his gym family.
“You saw how in shape he was weeks out before this fight. I just think he learned a lot in the last year and has grown and matured more as a man…and you see how serious every single piece of training has been for him.
"He is so switched on and just wants to rectify the mistake.”
While Pimblett has not fought in 2023, he has had plenty of positives out of the Octagon as he has got married and is set to be a father to twins.
His foundation, the Baddy Foundation, has also continued to grow and raise money to address food insecurity and mental health issues.
“He has had a great year personally,” said McCann.
“He’s got the Baddy Foundation, he’s got married, he’s having twin girls, he’s got a new home, it’s all come for him on that side. It’s just the fighting needs to align with that which I am sure he will.”
Pimblett has said it is an “honour” to fight Ferguson, who he describes as “one of the best lightweights of all-time”.
The 39-year-old has lost his last six fights in a row but McCann says Pimblett is aware of the threat he can still possess.
“He know what he is up against. Tony is like a hero of is. He is very aware of Tony’s keys to victory,” she said.
“There will be moments where they are both coming in flying. We all know how good Paddy is with offence against the cage but Tony will want to try and take him down.
“It’s going to be great. Two different generations of mixed martial artists coming together.”
The main event on the card will see Britain’s Leon Edwards clash with Colby Covington.
TNT Sports expert Nick Peet says he is expecting a “big performance” from Pimblett on his UFC return.
“I feel he has a new sense of motivation. Any fighter can thrive when the going is good, he has come into the UFC hit the ground running and has been flying,” he said.
“Then he came to Vegas last year where he got an injury early and produced a flat performance, a lot of people believed he was lucky to come away with a decision. Everybody has bad nights at the office, but the way the world turned on I think took Paddy a long time to get over psychologically.
“Long before he was in the UFC he was filling arenas with people singing his name. Now for the first time he has kind of become the heel and he has had to deal with that emotionally.
“But he has found that friends and family he is still the same Paddy, it’s just been a frustrating time. I think we are going to see a real reaction from him and a big performance.”
What time does Edwards v Covington start?
The broadcast of the preliminary card will be available for TNT Sports subscribers to watch on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+ from 01:00. The main card will start from 03:00 and will be available exclusively on TNT Sports Box Office.
How to watch Edwards v Covington in the UK on TV
UFC 296: Edwards vs. Covington costs £19.99 in the UK and can be watched through EE TV, Virgin Media TV and Sky, online via the web or the TNT Sports Box Office App. You do not need to be a TNT Sports subscriber to buy this event.
- Sky customers can purchase TNT Sports Box Office on channel 490 via their remote control or via https://www.sky.com/boxoffice/tnt-sports
- Customers in the Republic of Ireland can purchase TNT Sports Box Office via Sky at https://www.sky.com/boxoffice/tnt-sports - €29.99 or €34.99 (on the day)
- Virgin Media TV customers in the UK: customers with a TiVo and/or V6 set-top-box should visit the On-Demand section and choose Live Events; customers with a Virgin TV 360 and/or Stream set-top-box should go to the Pay Per View rail
- EE TV customers can go to channel 494 and pay using their remote control.
- Viewers wanting to watch the fight online should visit www.tntsports.co.uk/boxoffice and follow instructions to subscribe and watch on the web or on the TNT Sports Box Office App, customers can choose to watch on the big screen using Google Chromecast and Apple Airplay.
- EE, Three, Vodafone and O2 customers watching online or via the TNT Sports Box Office App can choose to add the payment to their mobile bill.
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