Athletes
Paddy Pimblett | Living Up To The Hype
Six Fights, Six Wins And Plenty Of Memorable Moments In Between Put Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett Squarely In The Spotlight Heading Into UFC 314: Volkanovski vs Emmett
Hyped prospects are a dime-a-dozen when it comes to all sports, but the weight of expectations in combat sports come with a different sort of pressure. Part of it is the individualized nature of fighting, as well as the bright spotlight that comes with a one-on-one contest limited to a 30-foot Octagon. There is no hiding when it comes to mixed martial arts, and few fighters have embraced all that comes with prizefighting in the last half-decade better than Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett.
Since making his debut in September 2021, Pimblett has entranced, confounded and intrigued fight fans, pundits and peers, but what he has not done is lose.
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Through six trips to the Octagon, Pimblett has delivered on the hype, often in entertaining fashion, collecting four finishes and performance bonuses along the way. The 30-year-old scouser is brash. His blonde hair flops around like he walked out of a time-machine from the 1960s. His post-fight eating habits are well-documented. And yet, when he makes the walk to the Octagon, he flips the switch to one of the best lightweights on the planet at present. Those burning hopes, questions, doubts and self-made promises get put under the microscope once more when he faces his stiffest test yet in Michael Chandler at UFC 314 on April 12.
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From the moment he walked to the Octagon, Pimblett was touted as having “it.” Making his debut as a 26-year-old in September 2021, it was well-documented that he had delayed his arrival to the mixed martial arts leader. Instead of jumping at his first chance to join the promotion, Pimblett chose to continue fighting under the Cage Warriors banner, winning the featherweight title and challenging for the lightweight belt along the way. During that time, Pimblett said he was able to hone all areas of the fight game, including learning how to handle the media pressure that comes with the fanfare.
So, when he finally stepped to the Octagon, he felt polished enough to start making headway at 155 pounds. The start was steady — three bonuses and three finishes against Luigi Vendramin, Rodrigo Vargas and Jordan Leavitt — but some doubted his strength of schedule, his habit of leaving his chin in the air and whether the excessive eating habits outside of fight camp would catch up with him. Those doubts were amplified during his win over Jared Gordon, a razor-close decision win many felt should have gone the other way.
MORE UFC 314: Fight By Fight Preview | Volkanovski Looks To Reclaim Throne | Fan Events Schedule
That bout, which took place in December 2022, would hang in fans’ memories as Pimblett recovered from an ankle injury sustained in the fight, but he proved he had the ability to prevent the negative buzz from infecting his performance. He also became an advocate for men’s mental health after losing a friend ahead of the fight, championing organizations that give men a place to talk through their struggles. He returned a year later to take out Tony Ferguson, a strong performance that was only missing a finish, which he nearly secured in the first round. However, he admitted to gassing himself out chasing that fight-ending sequence in the first frame, forcing him to implement a wrestle-heavy attack for the remainder of the fight.
But with fight fans, it’s always “what have you done lately?” And in his latest effort, Pimblett delivered to the highest degree. Facing veteran King Green at UFC 304 in Manchester, Pimblett arguably put on his best performance to-date, submitting Green a little more than three minutes into the first round, stealing the show and earning another performance bonus. In the fight, Pimblett looked noticeably filled out and muscular, and his striking game led to the submission sequence as he chopped Green’s legs with great effectiveness.
The husband and father of twin girls steps back into the spotlight in Miami for a five-round test against a former title challenger. If anyone is going to test Pimblett’s chin and have the confidence to go to the ground with him, it’s Chandler. Although the card is littered with high-stakes and high-intrigue fights, Pimblett is always going to draw the majority of the eyeballs.
That’s the nature of the game when someone has “it” and keeps winning.
UFC 314: Volkanovski vs Lopes took place live from Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida on April 12, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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