Dana White is happy with his matchmaking for UFC 296.
The UFC CEO recently announced a slew of fights for his final pay-per-view show of the year, including a welterweight title match between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington.
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However, it was a fight on the undercard that caught the attention of most fans.
British MMA star Paddy Pimblett is set for a huge step up in opposition when he takes on former interim champion Tony Ferguson at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on December 16.
The matchup, while intriguing on paper, has faced some backlash due to the fact Pimblett is riding a four-fight UFC win streak and his opponent has lost six consecutive bouts.
Some believe ‘The Baddy’ is being given the chance to build his name off a fallen legend who hasn’t tasted victory inside the Octagon since stopping Donald Cerrone in 2019.
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On Tuesday, after watching the latest Contender Series card, White was asked about the backlash he’s received for booking Pimblett vs Ferguson.
The 54-year-old seems to think people are upset with the fight because ‘El Cucuy’ isn’t facing a top opponent when a lot of MMA fans feel Pimblett is being given a layup.
"I think a lot of people think Paddy is unproven, and I think a lot of people feel like this is a fight that Tony isn’t in deep water like he’s been in, in his last several fights,” White said.
“I think the matchmaking and the timing on this fight is excellent and couldn’t be more perfect.
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"If you look at Tony’s last few fights that he’s fought, he looked damn good before, you know, the [Michael] Chandler finish, and every fight that he’s fought in the last two or three fights. He looked damn good right up until the end.
“So, it’s a fun, interesting fight with two fun and interesting characters.”
Pimblett hasn’t fought since picking up a controversial decision win over Jared Gordon last December as he's been recovering from a foot injury.
Ferguson started well but faded badly against Bobby Green at UFC 293 in July where he suffered a second consecutive submission defeat after previously being choked out by Nate Diaz during his lengthy losing streak.
Despite the backlash, two eras of MMA will collide at UFC 296.
