paddy pimblett
Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

Fast-rising UFC lightweight star Paddy Pimblett just got a major endorsement as the next face of the promotion from a popular Octagon legend.

With Conor McGregor no longer an active member of the UFC roster, the company has been looking high and low for that next big star to be one of the faces of the company. While there are many talented fighters on the roster, few have the it factor of “Notorious.” Well, according to MMA great Chael Sonnen, Pimblett can be the guy to be the new face of the brand.

Related: Paddy Pimblett’s next fight – 3 opponent options for “The Baddy’s” UFC return

“Paddy is on a meteoric rise. You want to talk about who’s the next big star? I hear this all the time. Is it Ilia [Topuria]? Is it going to be Islam [Makhachev]? Is it [Sean] O’Malley? Is [Alex] Pereira the biggest star?” Sonnen said in a new post on his YouTube channel.

“What do we do without Conor McGregor? I hear all this talk. Guys, I was in the building [at UFC 314]. The closest one right now, in the absence of O’Malley… I’m telling you, it’s Paddy.”

Paddy Pimblett record: 23-3 (11 submissions, 6 knockouts)

Since joining the UFC in 2021, the English scrapper has had many doubters. Mostly due to his striking skills, which are still a work in progress. However, his brash magnetism has cultivated a huge fan base, and he is arguably the United Kingdom’s most popular fighter.

Over his last three, he has made a lot of headway as an all-around fighter and in quieting his detractors. With his victories over lightweight stars Tony Ferguson and King Green, “The Baddy” showed he can rise to the occasion of a big fight. However, his UFC 314 win over Michael Chandler proved he can defeat legitimate top-10 talent. He scored finishes in two of those three bouts.

The 30-year-old does not have his next fight scheduled after scoring a ninth straight win in April.

After earning his journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos served as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sucka ... More about Jason Burgos
Mentioned in this article:

More About:

0What do you think?Post a comment.