Paddy Pimblett is ready to keep proving the doubters wrong.
UFC 282 this weekend (Sat., Dec. 10, 2022) will mark “The Baddy’s” toughest test to date in the Octagon. Tasked with Lightweight veteran, Jared Gordon, Pimblett still doesn’t see his opponent as much of a threat.
There hasn’t been any semblance of rivalry in any of Pimblett’s UFC match ups thus far. Some of Gordon’s recent comments ahead of their co-main event clash didn’t sit well with the rising British superstar, however.
“I think Jordan Leavitt’s a better grappler, Luigi Vendramini’s a better striker, and I’m bigger than him,” Pimblett said at UFC 282 media day. “I’ve got more reach. One thing that did piss me off was he said I’m a quitter. I’ve never quit. I’ve been choked unconscious and went five rounds twice against two steroid abusers when I went into both of them fights injured.
“He’s the quitter,” he continued. “He tapped to a choke recently. It wasn’t even fully on. That wasn’t even a proper rear-naked choke against an opponent who’s absolutely dog s—t.”
Pimblett’s retort references Gordon’s last loss to Grant Dawson this past April 2022. Gordon has since rebounded with an August 2022 unanimous decision over Leonardo Santos to set up this big Pimblett encounter.
Of Pimblett’s three career losses in 22 fights, his first came in his fifth fight where he was submitted by Cameron Else via a 35-second anaconda choke — his only finish defeat.
“I know he has some quit in him,” Gordon told CBS Sports. “He’s quit in other fights. You can’t ever, ever, ever unlearn that. That’s just something that he’s born with. I’ve never quit. I never will. You have to literally kill me to quit. Figuratively and literally.”
A win at UFC 282 for Pimblett would extend his win streak to six overall and four within UFC. Despite scoring finishes in all of those bouts, Pimblett still feels he isn’t quite getting treated as a legitimate future contender at 155 pounds.
“People still aren’t taking me for real,” Pimblett said. “No one respects me and it does piss me off. But I’ve just got to get on with that, lad. People don’t respect the come-up. Simple as.”
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 282 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard (on ESPN2/ESPN+) at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.
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