The MMA community’s reaction in regards to the matchmaking for Tony Ferguson vs. Paddy Pimblett has been largely negative, however former UFC middleweight champion and current color analyst Michael Bisping sits on the other side of the fence.

Ferguson looks to snap a six-fight skid on the final UFC pay-per-view of 2023 when he meets Pimblett at UFC 296, which takes place Dec. 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While many within the sport have protested the matchmaking, Bisping doesn’t quite understand those complaints. He defended the matchup this past weekend.

“A lot of people on social media are talking s*** about this fight, and I don’t understand it,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “Paddy Pimblett is coming back, you have to give him a credible opponent, and Tony Ferguson is a wild motherf*****. It’s as simple as that. He’s a fighter, he will fight tooth and nail. You literally have to finish Tony Ferguson to prevent him from coming forward, there’s no quit in that man.”

Ferguson, a former UFC interim lightweight champion, has not won a fight in more than four years — not since his doctor’s stoppage TKO win over Donald Cerrone in June 2019. “El Cucuy” has lost six straight, including three consecutive stoppage losses at the hands of Michael Chandler, Nate Diaz, and Bobby Green, the most recent of which took place in July.

Many are concerned Ferguson has taken too much damage over the past several years, which is something Bisping can’t deny, but he also understands that Ferguson’s losses during this streak — for the most part — have been against the best at 155 pounds.

“He’s 39 years old, yes, he’s taken a lot of damage, but he’s also got a lot of experience,” Bisping said. “Against Bobby Green, he was doing OK. Nate Diaz, he was doing alright, Michael Chandler, he dropped him in the very first round. Beneil Dariush, he went the distance, same with Charles [Oliveira] — and Justin Gaethje, until the end, he was doing alright [until he was] finished in Round 5.

“Not throwing any shade on Dustin Poirier, but he did better than Dustin Poirier just did recently. You see the point I’m trying to make: Tony Ferguson is still a dangerous man, there’s no mistake about that.”

On the flip side, Pimblett is 4-0 inside the octagon, which includes a controversial decision over Jared Gordon in his most recent outing at UFC 282 this past December. “The Baddy” makes his first appearance of 2023 at UFC 296 after recovering from an ankle injury.

Bisping believes Pimblett is in an interesting spot, because if he loses, he loses to a fighter who hasn’t won in over four years, and if he wins, it’s against a guy who would have then dropped seven straight bouts.

“It’s a really tough spot for Paddy Pimblett because it’s a lose-lose,” Bisping explained. “I know there’s people out there talking s***, saying, ‘Oh, they’re just giving Paddy somebody easy.’ Tony Ferguson is not easy. He’s not an easy fight for anyone. But also, since he’s lost six fights in a row, if [Pimblett] wins, if [he wins], well then it’s, ‘Of course you just beat Tony Ferguson, he’s lost six in a row, he’s been finished three times in a row.’

“So you understand what I’m saying, it’s a lose-lose for him. It’s a tough one. I respect both men for stepping in there and putting it all on the line.”