Paddy Pimblett
The Baddy
England
Toughness on display in defeat
Pimblett came up short in his quest for the Interim UFC Lightweight Championship on Saturday, falling to Justin Gaethje via unanimous decision (47-48, 46-49, 46-49) at UFC 324 in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
It's not going to make Pimblett feel any better, but the toughness he showed in this fight will be talked about for years to come. Gaethje just kept unloading for 25 minutes, firing away everything but the kitchen sink and Paddy somehow not only hung around, but also managed to to return fire and generate more than his fair share of offense. In addition to all Gaethje's shots, he survived two accidental eye pokes and a borderline low blow. Paddy appeared supremely conditioned, which is the only way you have any chance of remaining relevant in a war such as this one. Pimblett gets a bunch of flack for his antics, most of which occurred earlier in his career. He appears to have taken things much more seriously of late and like it or not, the guy is a clear world-class fighter in arguably the most loaded division in the sport. This was his first setback in eight UFC appearances.
It's not going to make Pimblett feel any better, but the toughness he showed in this fight will be talked about for years to come. Gaethje just kept unloading for 25 minutes, firing away everything but the kitchen sink and Paddy somehow not only hung around, but also managed to to return fire and generate more than his fair share of offense. In addition to all Gaethje's shots, he survived two accidental eye pokes and a borderline low blow. Paddy appeared supremely conditioned, which is the only way you have any chance of remaining relevant in a war such as this one. Pimblett gets a bunch of flack for his antics, most of which occurred earlier in his career. He appears to have taken things much more seriously of late and like it or not, the guy is a clear world-class fighter in arguably the most loaded division in the sport. This was his first setback in eight UFC appearances.
Fight Log
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Booked against Gaethje
Pimblett will fight Justin Gaethje at UFC 324 on Jan. 24, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
Pimblett will be putting his perfect 7-0 UFC record on the line against Gaethje, who is coming off a win in his most recent bout and has won three of his last four fights.
Pimblett will be putting his perfect 7-0 UFC record on the line against Gaethje, who is coming off a win in his most recent bout and has won three of his last four fights.
Rolls through Michael Chandler
Pimblett defeated Michael Chandler via TKO (punches) at 3:07 of Round 3 at UFC 314 on Saturday in Miami.
ANALYSIS
What Paddy's ultimate ceiling is and whether or not there's any upside beyond this remains to be seen, but it's clear as day that he's considerably better than most everyone originally anticipated. Wins over the likes of King Green and Tony Ferguson are nice, but who could have reasonably expected him to come in and absolutely dominate Chandler from a physical standpoint? The lone blemish on Pimblett's evening was the four takedowns he allowed. That said, he made sure Chandler landed no notable damaged and threatened multiple submissions. The biggest blow of the night was a massive knee landed by Paddy early in Round 3. It was at that point Chandler tired, and Pimblett floored the gas pedal, eventually earning the stoppage (which would also earn him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus). Paddy spent his post-fight interview calling out names like Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, and most notably, Charles Oliveira. "Paddy the Baddy" is marketing gold, and the UFC, first and foremost, is a money making machine, so expect Pimblett's next fight to come against an elite, high-level name.
What Paddy's ultimate ceiling is and whether or not there's any upside beyond this remains to be seen, but it's clear as day that he's considerably better than most everyone originally anticipated. Wins over the likes of King Green and Tony Ferguson are nice, but who could have reasonably expected him to come in and absolutely dominate Chandler from a physical standpoint? The lone blemish on Pimblett's evening was the four takedowns he allowed. That said, he made sure Chandler landed no notable damaged and threatened multiple submissions. The biggest blow of the night was a massive knee landed by Paddy early in Round 3. It was at that point Chandler tired, and Pimblett floored the gas pedal, eventually earning the stoppage (which would also earn him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus). Paddy spent his post-fight interview calling out names like Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, and most notably, Charles Oliveira. "Paddy the Baddy" is marketing gold, and the UFC, first and foremost, is a money making machine, so expect Pimblett's next fight to come against an elite, high-level name.
Facing chandler at UFC 314
Pimblett will take on Michael Chandler in a lightweight matchup in the co-main event of UFC 314 on April 12 in Miami.
ANALYSIS
Pimblett has caught the UFC by storm during his 6-0 run to begin his time with the company (that includes four post-fight bonuses), but Chandler, even at the advanced age of 38, is a storied veteran who will represent the Englishman's toughest test to date. Sure, Chandler has lost four of his last five, though each of those defeats have been against former title contenders, which Pimblett is a long ways away from. However, a win here against a notable name could push Pimblett much closer to that conversation. Pimblett will have to hope Chandler wants to put on a show on the feet and abandon his wrestling, as "Paddy the Baddy" has a much better shot of catching Chandler than outlasting a wrestling-based attack.
Pimblett has caught the UFC by storm during his 6-0 run to begin his time with the company (that includes four post-fight bonuses), but Chandler, even at the advanced age of 38, is a storied veteran who will represent the Englishman's toughest test to date. Sure, Chandler has lost four of his last five, though each of those defeats have been against former title contenders, which Pimblett is a long ways away from. However, a win here against a notable name could push Pimblett much closer to that conversation. Pimblett will have to hope Chandler wants to put on a show on the feet and abandon his wrestling, as "Paddy the Baddy" has a much better shot of catching Chandler than outlasting a wrestling-based attack.
Standout performance in home win
Pimblett defeated King Green via technical submission (triangle choke) at 3:22 of Round 1 at UFC 304 on Saturday in Manchester, England.
ANALYSIS
It was Paddy's most impressive performance in the UFC by a wide margin. Not only did Pimblett look strong on the feet early on, but he put forth a masterful effort the minute Green foolishly shot for a takedown. Paddy immediately clamped on a guillotine before quickly transitioning to the triangle choke. He tossed up an armbar for good measure, but at that, point Green had already gone to sleep, which referee Lukasz Bosacki finally realized. It was Green's first submission defeat in the UFC, which is no small feat. Perfect in the UFC in six bouts, Paddy called for Renato Moicano in his post-fight interview. The fight makes plenty of sense if Moicano can get past Benoit Saint Denis -- which isn't a guarantee -- in late-September. In the meantime, Pimblett will walk away with two separate $100,000 Performance of the Night bonuses on a night in which Dana White decided to double the bonuses but wasn't impressed with many other finishers.
It was Paddy's most impressive performance in the UFC by a wide margin. Not only did Pimblett look strong on the feet early on, but he put forth a masterful effort the minute Green foolishly shot for a takedown. Paddy immediately clamped on a guillotine before quickly transitioning to the triangle choke. He tossed up an armbar for good measure, but at that, point Green had already gone to sleep, which referee Lukasz Bosacki finally realized. It was Green's first submission defeat in the UFC, which is no small feat. Perfect in the UFC in six bouts, Paddy called for Renato Moicano in his post-fight interview. The fight makes plenty of sense if Moicano can get past Benoit Saint Denis -- which isn't a guarantee -- in late-September. In the meantime, Pimblett will walk away with two separate $100,000 Performance of the Night bonuses on a night in which Dana White decided to double the bonuses but wasn't impressed with many other finishers.
Facing Green in July
Pimblett will take on Bobby Green in a lightweight bout at UFC 304 in Manchester, England on July 27, per Damon Martin of MMAFighting.com.
ANALYSIS
Pimblett will put his perfect UFC record on the line against the 37-year-old American following a series of verbal shots from both sides. Paddy "The Baddy" owns a seven-fight win streak across promotions and will take on Green in his home country, though the veteran American has the experience to challenge the younger Englishman.
Pimblett will put his perfect UFC record on the line against the 37-year-old American following a series of verbal shots from both sides. Paddy "The Baddy" owns a seven-fight win streak across promotions and will take on Green in his home country, though the veteran American has the experience to challenge the younger Englishman.