P. Pimblett is considered one of the bets for the future of the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
This Saturday (19), the UFC returns to promote an event in London, England. And, in addition to Tom aspinall, which does the main fight against Alexander Volkov, other local fighters will be competing in the action – including the promising Paddy Pimblett, which faces Rodrigo vargas on the main card.
Surrounded by expectations, English is seen, by many, as the 'New McGregor' for his aggressive and controversial style. Now, the team at SUPER FIGHTS shows the details of the comparison with the 'Notório', in addition to revealing interesting facts about the promise's career in search of stardom in Ultimate.
Childhood and beginnings in martial arts
P. Pimblett in his early career. Photo: Reproduction/YouTube Paddy The Baddy Documentary
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MMA can enter a fighter's life in many different ways. Whether by necessity, influence or even will. And, for Pimblett, the last reason was predominant for his start in the sport. Even as a teenager, the Englishman revealed that he did not want to continue studying.
As soon as he started practicing martial arts, he decided to abandon any other professional goal to dedicate himself fully to his professional success in the sport. He even says that he didn't find a job and didn't even try to study at a college in search of his big dream.
“So when I left school, I started training full time, but when I thought about college, I realized it wasn't for me. I wasn't happy about it, but I knew I didn't have a job, so I dedicated myself 100% (to MMA). It was my job, I know how to do it”, detailed Pimblett.
Path similar to 'Notorious'
P. Pimblett with Cage Warriors belt. Photo: Reproduction/UFC YouTube
Paddy has already stated that he likes and is inspired by McGregor with his irreverent style and unorthodox base. When asked about the comparisons, the fighter made a point of highlighting that he considers his idol to be the 'greatest name the sport has ever seen'. He even aims to become a legend in the UFC and follow in the footsteps of the 'Notório'.
“I have personality and I can confirm that. It's an honor to be compared to the biggest name this sport has ever seen. We both went through similar situations. He's Irish, I'm English. And I know I'm going to become a great UFC legend”, said the Englishman in an interview with 'with the BBC' before his UFC debut.
The path, in fact, was similar to the Irishman, since, in just one year of his career, he signed a contract with the 'Cage Warriors' after a promising start with three knockouts on English soil.
In the organization, Pimblett had three more fights than Conor and, along the way, he also managed to become the organization's champion. In total, there were eight fights for the belt, with seven victories and only one defeat. The great consecration took place in September 2016, when the Englishman beat Frenchman Johnny Frachey, with complete dominance in grappling, in the first round.
Refusal to UFC
P. Pimblett after winning in his UFC debut. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @ufc
Signing a contract with the UFC is a 'desire' for most professional MMA athletes. However, anyone who thinks that this happened with Pimblett is mistaken. When he became Cage Warriors champion, the Englishman chose to renew his contract with his former organization and did not insist on signing with Dana White's franchise.
He said, at the time, that the remuneration offered was lower than that received and, therefore, it would not make sense to accept it. At the time, Pimblett was just 21 years old and had a record of 11 wins in 12 fights.
“The UFC came with an offer after I won the belt, but I would have been an idiot to turn down the offer Cage Warriors gave me. I had dinner with Graham Boylan (owner of Cage Warriors) in London after I won the title, and there were a few offers, but we chose the one that was best for us. Cage Warriors was better for money, so I would have been stupid to say no,” he recalled.
Debut (almost) ruined by Brazilian
P. Pimblett defeated L. Vendramini in the UFC Las Vegas 36 (Photo: Instagram/UFC)
In September of 2021, Paddy Pimblett His debut was full of expectations and managed to surpass them. Already on the main card of UFC Vegas 36, the Englishman showed that he has the potential to go far in the organization and, against Luigi Vendramini, managed to recover from the initial 'blitz'.
He came to blows with the Brazilian's blows, but with a triumphant return, he showed great quality in his striking to win by knockout in the first round of the duel.
Hype machine and controversial personality
Paddy is, without a doubt, a figure who attracts attention. With blonde hair thrown to the side in the best English 'boy band' style, his personality in interviews also attracts fans' eyes due to his sincerity. Irreverent, he frequently appears at Ultimate events and collects followers on his social networks, which combined (on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube), reach 300 thousand, despite only one fight in Ultimate.
Furthermore, on the official UFC channel on 'YouTube', Pimblett's presentation video, released before his debut, reached 8 million views, with the most diverse reactions, which highlight the athlete's rapid popularity, as well as the good work done on social media.
The big comparison with Conor McGregor, in fact, it is also due to the ease of communication and promotion of new fights. His controversial manner drew attention the week of his next fight, for being involved in a fight with Ilir Topuria, in which the two fighters came to blows and had to be separated by people at the scene.
Will it succeed?
There is no denying that the future of Paddy Pimblett he can be brilliant and, yes, reach the highest level, towards his main goal of becoming a UFC legend. However, the Englishman knows that there is still work ahead and he needs to go through Rodrigo vargas, UFC London, to confirm its status as one of the organization's greatest promises today.
Professional since 2012, 'The Buddy', aged 27, has a record of 17 triumphs and three setbacks. He still has six knockouts and seven submissions in his professional career.
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