Paddy Pimblett: ‘I’ll Push Through Anything’

But hidden in the shadows are online critics who doubt his every move, no matter how many times he gets his hand raised. Ever since his debut, whispers of Pimblett never reaching the highly touted lightweight Top 15 have circulated around the internet and inevitably onto Pimblett’s feed. 

Now, just days away from his first matchup against a ranked opponent, 11-year UFC veteran King Green, all Pimblett can do is laugh.

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“I’m just looking forward to all my fans and the people who’ve supported me over the years,” Pimblett said. “I’m looking forward to proving them right and shutting all the haters up. The amount of times I’ve read and seen on the internet, ‘He’ll never be ranked,’ and I’m about to come and take a ranking, so it’s quite funny.”

In April, Pimblett and his wife welcomed their newborn twins to the world. While Pimblett is often unshaken in the face of adversity, his two daughters, Betsy and Margot, will provide an extra lifeline through any challenges this fight may bring.

“A lot’s changed,” Pimblett said. “I got two daughters now, I’ve got two baby girls, so I’ve got them to think about now. I’ve got to put food on the table for my kids, so I can’t let him stop that.

“Of course, you’ve got more motivation. I’m not a quitter anyway, I’d never quit, but when I’m in that Octagon and [it] gets tough, I know all I got to do is think of my two daughters Betsy and Margot and I’ll push through anything.”

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It’s been seven long months for Pimblett, who’s been eager to get back in the Octagon since defeating Ferguson last December. He received an extra boost of energy in May, however, when he met one of his idols, former Liverpool FC manager Jürgen Klopp.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been star struck meeting anyone before in my life,” Pimblett said. “He’s the only person. I’ve always said if I could meet anyone in the world, it’d be him. I was in awe. He’s an absolute legend in Liverpool. He always will be. He’s like the Messiah… He called me the machine, which is hilarious. He pointed at me, and I was like, ‘Is he pointing at me?’ He came over to me and it was a surreal moment. As I said, I don’t think I’ve ever been starstruck before, but I was. You know me, I’m never speechless, but in that moment, I was.”

As for his upcoming fight at Co-op Live in Manchester, Pimblett recognizes Green’s longevity and experience in the lightweight division, and that he may not bring anything new to the table that Green hasn’t seen before.

But Pimblett feels Green is severely underestimating his unique striking game that put away Luigi Vendramini in “The Baddy’s” Performance of the Night-earning UFC debut. Although he’s certain his grappling skills far outweigh Green’s, don’t be surprised if “The Baddy” stays on the feet and lets his hands fly on Saturday.

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“Well, Robert Green or Bobby Green, his name’s not King, his name is Bobby,” Pimblett said, unwilling to acknowledge Green’s recent, legal name change from Bobby to King. “He’s a good boxer, he’s got very good cardio but that’s not going to help him when I put one on his chin and knock him out or I take him down and drown him on the ground.

“He’s had nearly 50 fights or something like that so I wouldn’t say that I’m going to bring something that he hasn’t seen, but my style of grappling is different to everyone and, to be honest, I’ve got the weirdest striking in the world. People are underestimating it. I think he has. He’s underestimated my striking skill and my power and it’s going to pay dividends on Saturday night.

“It would be lovely to knock him clean out.”