1 week Ago By Kyle Dimond
Ever since he arrived in the Octagon, ‘The Baddy’ has been a controversial star.Paddy Pimblett has received criticism throughout his UFC run but he’s continuing to defy expectations with each win that he racks up in the lightweight division.At UFC 314 in Miami, the rising star earned his biggest victory to date as Pimblett dominated and stopped Michael Chandler to break through into the division’s top 10.
The 30-year-old is used to people counting him out and it’s no secret that he uses this as fuel to motivate himself at each and every turn.He loves nothing more than proving doubters wrong whether they’re questioning his ability or Pimblett’s well known diet habits after he’s gone through a training camp.READ MORE: Dana White smiles during story about of ‘one of the dumbest things’ he’s ever donePhoto by Megan Briggs/Getty ImagesPaddy Pimblett sends a message to the doubters when looking back at his win over Michael ChandlerAfter spending some time to celebrate the victory with his supporters, which including a private yacht party, it was time for Paddy Pimblett to address his critics.
A lot of fans predicted that whilst Michael Chandler might be towards the end of his career, he would still be incredibly dangerous on the feet.Even in his previous outing where he was convincingly beaten by Charles Oliveira, ‘Iron’ Mike was still able to hurt ‘Do Bronx’ in the final round with the one-shot power in his hands.‘The Baddy’ has proven himself to be a dangerous finisher with excellent submission skills but one aspect of his game has been particularly scrutinized in the past.
Pimblett’s striking defense was a big talking point in his earlier fights in the UFC but this didn’t end up playing a major role on April 12 before the surging contender got the finish in the third round.The Brit shrugged off any damage that he did take whilst the same couldn’t be said for Chandler who, as is often the case, left the Octagon bloodied and bruised.Over two weeks on from the fight, Pimblett chose to remind those who doubted him that they believed he would struggle on the feet at the Kaseya Center in Miami.
“After everyone saying mikes power would be too much for me on the feet, I think yous all realised it was the other around real quick.”READ MORE: Islam Makhachev’s coach names the two fighters he could surpass to become the most well-rounded of all time View this post on Instagram A post shared by Paddy THE BADDY Pimblett (@theufcbaddy)What’s next for Paddy Pimblett?Following his win over Michael Chandler at UFC 314, Paddy Pimblett moved up four spots in the lightweight rankings.‘The Baddy’ is now in search of what would likely be a title eliminator having named several opponents in his post-fight interview in Miami.
Both Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira would fit this slot perfectly as two top contenders in the division who would be his toughest test to date by some distance.The division could be set for some big changes in the coming months with Islam Makhachev potentially moving up whilst Ilia Topuria is still yet to debut at 155-pounds.Regardless of how everything plays out, Pimblett finds himself in a great spot with what is sure to be one of the biggest fights of 2025 waiting for him on the horizon.
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