Paddy Pimblett joins Sean O’Malley as prospects who don’t want a step-up in competition without a step-up in compensation.
Paddy Pimblett made quite the splash with his long-awaited UFC debut earlier this year. The Liverpudlian got off to a winning start in the Octagon with a KO over Luigi Vendramini. Since then he’s done lots of talking and heard his name called out by a few fighters in and around the lightweight division.
Pimblett has also exchanged verbal jabs with Sean O’Malley, with both fighters claiming they are the current ‘cash cow’ of the UFC.
Recently the Englishman displayed a similarity to ‘Suga’, in revealing that he was not interested in top ranked fighters at this stage of his career (while he is still on an entry level UFC contract).
O’Malley made headlines a few months ago by explaining why he follows the Chael Sonnen mantra of ‘fight the worst guy on the best spot on the card’. The bantamweight added that there’s no point in him fighting someone like Petr Yan right now, when he would get paid the same to fight an unranked fighter like his most recent opponent, Kris Moutinho.
“Fuck that. I’m not fighting a Top 10 on the money I’m on, lad,” Pimblett said when YouTuber James English asked whether he would take on a big name fighter next (ht MMA Mania). “Nick Peet was saying he’d like to see me against Tony Ferguson. And, lad, I’d like to see me against Tony Ferguson, but not on the contract I’m on now. Fuck that. Get paid that money to fight Tony Ferguson, lad. Yeah, he’s still one of the best 155ers in the world, lad. I want six fucking figures, lad, then I’m fighting him.”
Recently Pimblett was called out by unranked lightweight Jared Gordon, who is 6-3 in the UFC. Pimblett seemed to accept that invitation online. Though, it’s not known if that proposed match-up will make it to a UFC event anytime soon.
This year O’Malley turned down a bout with former UFC champion Frankie Edgar, claiming he didn’t want to fight in New York due to that state’s tax system. Instead O’Malley is now booked to face Raulian Paiva, who is ranked 15th at bantamweight, at UFC 269 in Las Vegas.