Paddy Pimblett and Jared Gordon have argued this week about a rumored training session dating back to 2018, but the two lightweights will eventually settle their beef tomorrow night (Sat., Dec. 10, 2022) at UFC 282 live on ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV) from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Pimblett, who is doing his best to become the promotion’s next big star, has talked a big game since making his Octagon debut in 2021. The English fighter has produced a 3-0 record as a member of the UFC roster with three equally-impressive stoppages. However, Pimblett will encounter his hardest test to date this weekend at UFC 282 when he meets Gordon on PPV.
Earlier this week, “Baddy” revealed that he already shares history with Gordon. According to Pimblett, the two fighters rolled with each other during a training session back in 2018. Pimblett swears that the encounter only lasted five minutes and he ended up submitting Gordon two times.
“I’ve rolled with Jared Gordon, you know? In the Blue Basement in 2018,” said Pimblett during a recent interview with Michael Bisping for BT Sport. “…Rolled with him and submitted him twice in five minutes. Guillotine [choke] and triangle [choke]. I don’t think he can remember that. I was a big, fat bastard then. I was about 90 kilos [approximately 198 pounds].
“…I’ve submitted him twice in five minutes when I was fat and out of shape,” continued Pimblett. “And I had a broken hand. That was before I had my surgery. So in the past four-and-a-half years — that was early March 2018. The improvements that I’ve made over the past four-and-a-half-years, they’re ridiculous, lad. And I’m a completely different fighter now.”
Gordon, who currently sports a 7-4 record since joining UFC back in 2017, refuted Pimblett’s claim during UFC 282’s pre-fight press conference earlier this week (watch HERE). As someone who has only been submitted once in his entire professional career Gordon didn’t take too kindly to Pimblett’s comments.
“The first time we had physical contact was this past week,” said Gordon. “As a matter of fact, I strictly remember walking into Renzo’s going to the locker room, seeing you on the mat and recognizing you, made eye contact, and then you looked at the mat. That was the last time I saw you in person until this week.”
“This is the first time you are going to bring this up? All the talk leading up to this fight this year, this is the first time with all the talk, you are going to bring it up? All off the sudden we rolled twice. We rolled once and you subbed me twice, these are bold face lies. We can see it on your face. I can admit to things,” Gordon added.
What say you, Maniacs? Who do you believe entering Saturday’s matchup?
Sound off!
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.