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This weekend sees the debut of prospect Paddy Pimblett.
On September 4, the UFC is set to present their latest Fight Night card from Las Vegas. And while most of the attention will be on the main event fight between Darren Till and Derek Brunson, the undercard will see Pimblett look to take the promotion by storm.
A former Cage Warriors champion, Paddy Pimblett will face off with Luigi Vendramini in his UFC debut, and the fight could steal the show.
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Paddy Pimblett has been talked about as a potential UFC superstar for years now, and despite only being 26 years old, he’s highly experienced, with an MMA record of 16-3.
So can Paddy Pimblett become the next big superstar for the UFC, both in his native UK and in the USA too? It’s definitely possible.
Here are three reasons why Paddy Pimblett could be the UFC’s next big cash cow.
#3. The UFC can push Paddy Pimblett as the UK’s new big star
While the UFC is filled with a countless number of fighters who hope to become superstars, simply hailing from a different country to the USA or Brazil can always give prospects a leg-up.
The promotion is already well-established in those countries, but it’s a known fact that the UFC wants to be just as huge across the world, and that means finding home-grown superstars to market on the international stage.
The UFC has been making inroads into the UK market for years now, but ever since former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping retired in 2017, there hasn’t been a true British superstar.
Sure, the UFC have pushed Darren Till hugely in the market, but ‘The Gorilla’ hasn’t quite met expectations yet. So could Paddy Pimblett fill that gap?
It’s definitely possible. ‘The Baddy’ is a hugely charismatic fighter with an exciting style in the cage. He talks a good game, and it also helps that he looks like a rock star, with his shaggy hair making him look like a throwback to the age of Britpop.
So if Pimblett can get a handful of wins under his belt in the UFC, starting with beating Luigi Vendramini this weekend, it’s easy to imagine a scenario where the UK fanbase would elevate him into superstardom.
And if that happens, then he could become an excuse to print money in the eyes of the UFC. Given that he’s already stated a dream to headline a UFC show at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium, it’s clear that Pimblett has similar ideas, too.
#2. Paddy Pimblett is a remarkably entertaining fighter
While we have seen fighters with a less-than-entertaining style in the octagon become big stars in the UFC, they’re generally the exception to the rule. The likes of Chael Sonnen and Tito Ortiz weren’t the best fighters to watch all of the time, but their charisma meant fans were attracted to them anyway.
The biggest stars in UFC history, though, have for the most part been massively entertaining in the octagon too. Who can name a dull fight involving Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey or Nate Diaz for example?
Thankfully for Paddy Pimblett, who clearly wants to join those fighters in the higher pantheon of UFC stardom, no fans are likely to label him a dull fighter to watch either.
‘The Baddy’ holds an impressive record of 16-3, but perhaps more impressive is his finishing rate. Of his 16 wins, five have come by KO or TKO, while seven have come by submission.That includes two ultra-rare flying triangle chokes.
Essentially, Paddy Pimblett is aggressive to a fault when he’s in the cage. It could even be argued that this sheer aggressiveness, and particularly his willingness to hunt for submissions from his back, actually cost him in his most recent defeats.
And while some observers would perhaps advise him to tone down his reckless nature against the higher level of opponents he’ll be facing in the UFC, to do so would actually be a huge mistake.
It’s that reckless aggression that will undoubtedly endear him to UFC fans across the world. And this means that if he can win a handful of fights in crazy fashion, he’ll become a star regardless of whether he also loses some, putting him on a path to stardom once traveled by Nate Diaz.
#1. Like Conor McGregor, Paddy Pimblett can talk a good game
When Conor McGregor first arrived in the UFC back in March 2013, it was instantly clear that he was destined for stardom.
‘The Notorious’ megastar impressed in his UFC debut win over Marcus Brimage, but others have scored more impressive knockouts in their first trip to the octagon. What really set the Irishman apart was his natural charisma, most notably when it came to his ability to talk a good game.
Sure, McGregor may have fallen flat on his face had he been unable to back up his words inside the octagon, but even if he hadn’t reached the level that he did, his mic skills would still have made him a cult favorite.
And while he perhaps isn’t as witty as McGregor was back in those days, it’s safe to say that Paddy Pimblett is just as comfortable with a microphone as the Irishman ever was.
Hailing from Liverpool, Pimblett brings what some might call a stereotypical Scouse level of charisma with him to the UFC – part self-deprecating, part hugely self-confident.
Prior to his UFC debut this weekend, ‘The Baddy’ has already labeled his arrival in the world’s biggest MMA promotion as “inevitable,” and has also claimed that he is not only the biggest signing of 2021, but the biggest signing of the decade.
Whether or not Paddy Pimblett can back up his mouth inside the octagon is a question mark, but he’s likely to overcome Luigi Vendramini in his UFC debut. If he does that and is granted a post-fight interview, then he could well talk himself right into stardom.
And if he can do that, then it’s easy to imagine a scenario in which he replicates McGregor’s rise to fame, even if he can’t ascend to the same heights as the Irishman.
