Paddy Pimblett opens as massive betting favorite over Tony Ferguson for UFC 296 fight

The oddsmakers seemingly do not believe in Tony Ferguson anymore.

Ferguson opened as a sizable betting underdog to Paddy Pimblett this past weekend following the announcement of the pair’s divisive UFC 296 lightweight matchup. In introductory odds posted by BetOnline, Ferguson is listed as a +280 underdog to pull off the upset, while his Liverpudlian foe is set as a -340 favorite to keep the bad times rolling for “El Cucuy.”

For anyone unfamiliar, that means bettors must place a $340 wager on Pimblett in order to make just $100 of profit if he defeats Ferguson.

The UFC’s announcement of Ferguson vs. Pimblett was met with mixed reaction by the MMA community, as many voiced unease matching Ferguson up against another up-and-comer in light of the former UFC interim lightweight champion’s prolonged losing streak. Ferguson has dropped six consecutive bouts since 2020; worse, the 39-year-old has not appeared competitive in the majority of those performances.

Pimblett, 28, is undefeated in his four-fight UFC run. He has been sidelined since defeating Jared Gordon via a controversial decision in December 2022.

UFC 296 takes place Dec. 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event is headlined by two title bouts: Welterweight champion Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington in the main event, and flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval in the co-headliner.