Hate him or love him, fight fans may soon have to call Paddy Pimblett UFC lightweight champ. After going 7-0 to begin his run inside the top MMA promotion in the world, the native of Liverpool has a chance to achieve his self-proclaimed destiny and win UFC gold on Saturday night.
At UFC 324, “The Baddy” will get his greatest test yet when he faces former interim champion Justin Gaethje for the vacant lightweight strap. The Englishman’s potential rise to the sport has been a five-year journey that includes matchups with legends of the 155-pound division.
With that in mind, let’s look at Paddy Pimblett’s defining UFC moments ahead of his UFC 324 main event fight this weekend.
Knockout win over Luigi Vendramini in UFC debut
Before he even stepped into the Octagon for the first time, there was a lot of hype about Pimblett following a star turn in Cage Warriors where he became a champion and the company’s biggest star. So there were a lot of eyeballs on his UFC Vegas debut in September 2021.
After shedding the traditional UFC jitters and getting a read on Luigi Vendramini over the first few minutes, “The Baddy” showed he was much more than a dangerous grappler and scored an impressive first-round knockout over a rock-solid MMA veteran.
Close call against Jared Gordon
After three straight wins to start his UFC career — all finishes — the brash and loud Englishman quickly became one of the company’s fastest rising stars. It also brought a lot of attention from company veterans looking to knock him down a few levels. And 29-fight veteran Jared Gordon almost did it.
In their 2022 scrap at UFC 282, the New Yorker made Pimblett work, and to many observers of the sport, he beat “The Baddy” on that night. However, Pimblett would get the nod from judges. While it wasn’t a highlight during his UFC career, it was a great learning experience. Many UFC greats had close calls in winnable fights early in their tenures. The fight with Gordon showed that no one in the UFC can be overlooked.
Victory over UFC legend Tony Ferguson
The UFC has been smart with Paddy Pimblett’s schedule and hasn’t rushed him into tough fits. It has been a slow build for the Englishman. That’s why his 2023 clash with former lightweight champ Tony Ferguson was a pivotal moment in his run.
Pimblett got Ferguson in the midst of a six-fight losing skid. So he didn’t get vintage “El Cucuy.” But that didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous and far more experienced. In the end, the lightweight prospect scored a decisive unanimous decision win and added a former UFC champion to his hit list.
First round submission win over King Green
Paddy Pimblett still had many detractors following his victory over Ferguson. However, when he was booked against an always tough King Green at UFC 304 in July 2024, many diehard fans of the sport thought that the talented striker would give the Englishman a lot of trouble.
But Pimblett held his own on the feet and did what a high-level fighter should do. When Green made a mistake by going for a takedown off an exchange, he made sure that the American never got back to a standing position. After a couple of minutes of grappling, “The Baddy” earned a huge first-round submission win and put the 51-fight veteran to sleep.
Outworking and finishing Michael Chandler
Even after his win over Green, the Paddy Pimblett haters downplayed the win and claimed he received another UFC star well past their prime. So in April of last year, the company gave their rising star another tough proven veteran in former lightweight title challenger Michael Chandler.
The American was supposed to be the man to quiet Pimblett and hand him his first UFC loss. And early on, his explosive power made it seem like a possibility. However, the Englishman again showed his striking can’t be underestimated, and he eventually got the fight to the ground. This time, he scored a dominant TKO win in Round 3. Setting up a potential title opportunity in his return fight.
Winning UFC gold at UFC 324 (?)
While there are many unhappy with Paddy Pimblett getting a title opportunity this weekend, he checks off a lot of boxes for the promotion. He is 7-0 in the Octagon, with five finishes, and wins over several stars. But more than anything, he can promote a fight and has a sizable fanbase in the United Kingdom and abroad.
Interestingly enough, odds makers have become believers too, and he is a -238 favorite on Draft Kings heading into UFC 324. If he can score a win over one of the best fighters in division history on Saturday, his haters will have to deal with the fact that they must now also call him champion.
