Can Paddy Pimblett reach the height of the UFC Megastar Conor McGregor?
“The Baddy” took another big step towards Superstarm at UFC 314, winning the dominant third round TKO over Ex-Bellator Champion ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler inside Miami’s Kaseya Center. The victory moved Pimblett to the perfect 7-0 under the UFC banner, then to the lightweight top 10, and then rose four spots to overtake slot 8 in the rankings.
Not only that, but the victory could have helped Ribapudrian move away from one fight from his first shot at UFC Gold.
Looking back at Pinblett’s impressive performance on “305,” Chael Sonnen yelled at whether “The Baddy” could achieve the same level of fame as McGregor did, or become a cultural phenomenon like the deceased Kimbo slice.
“Can he get there, did McGregor own it? It’s a very unusual bar,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “Conor McGregor and Kimbo slices have been able to transcend culture. They are the only two in MMA history. Paddy has already brought him along.
“He’s already lined up the jumbo jets and fill arenas. He’s got the biggest night pop in Miami. He ended up as a monetisable box office gross.
Coach Islam Makhachev thinks Paddy Pimblett is ready for the title shot right now
Pimblett may have a little more to do before getting the first crack in the lightweight title of Islamic Makhachev, but Dagestani coach Javier Mendez believes Pimblett is ready for the main event spotlight.
“Paddy is ready to play against everyone,” Mendes said on his Javier & MO Show podcast. “I mean his victory record with what he has already done, his qualifications and his UFC, his hype and what he can do.
“Let’s see who they’re giving next, but is he worth it? Yes. He’s very funny. He has England and a lot of America behind him. He has a lot of fans. I’m a fan.
After beating Chandler, “Buddy” sought many top lightweight competitors, including Justin Gesche, Dustin Poilier and Charles Oliveira. However, after the pair recently moved back and forth in interviews and social media, scrap with top-ranked competitor Ahman Zarkikan seems to be on the forefront for fighters.