Paddy Pimblett made a statement with his win over Bobby Green the past weekend at UFC 304. ‘The Baddy’ came into the UFC as a rising star in England and has since only gotten bigger in the region. Unfortunately, Pimblett is not universally loved outside the UK. According to T.J. Dillashaw, however, this will pass with time as he envisions Conor McGregor type treatment for scouser.
In the recent episode of the ‘Jaxxon’ Podcast, Bear Degidio was joined by UFC legends, Rampage Jackson, Luke Rockhold and T.J. Dillashaw as the quartet dissected the world of MMA and all the recent developments in it.
Degidio asked Dillashaw why he thinks the UFC fan base is not a big fan of Pimblett despite his performances.
The former UFC champion said that it was part of his whole persona. Comparing it to McGregor’s meteoric rise in the sport, he reminded fans that in the beginning, the Irishman was hated just as much. It only changed when he started backing up the trash talk.
“They did not like him at first, but they ended up loving him because he could back it up. I think it is the same kind of thing. You’re going to watch someone more to watch them lose than you will to watch them win.”
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Dillashaw believes that if Pimblett can continue doing the same, it will only be a matter of time before he is a big star in the UFC. And if his recent performance is anything to go by, he is on the right track.
What is next for Paddy Pimblett?
Going into the fight against Green, many believed that ‘The Paddy’ would be outclassed on the feet. However, it was the opposite. ‘The Baddy’ dominated on the feet which forced Green to shoot for a takedown which ultimately did not work out for him.
Pimblett is now a ranked fighter in the UFC for the first time since joining the promotion. So he wasted no time in calling out Renato Moicano for a fight. Pimblett stated that if Moicano can get past Benoit- Saint Dennis in September, he would love to have a go at the Brazilian.
Moicano replied to the call-out channeling his inner Alex Pereira.
Now, of course, the Scouser wants to win the title someday and it looks like Moicano will be his first real challenge. Ranked fighters are a whole new challenge for anyone and Pimblett will find that out soon enough.
Hopefully, Pimblett can channel the resilience and the fighting legacy of Liverpool into his career and keep on winning.
