In the minds of some, Paddy Pimblett is on a Conor McGregor-like rise to fame.
While McGregor has been sidelined healing from his gruesome broken leg injury suffered in July 2021, Pimblett has been flawless in the Octagon, winning his first three fights. Upon his arrival, like McGregor, “The Baddy” blew the roof off the building when earning a stellar first round knockout in his debut (watch highlights). Since then, his star has only grown even larger and been boosted thanks to his follow-ups coming at home in London, England.
Pimblett seemingly still has a long way to go in the Lightweight division before sniffing a match up with someone like McGregor, but assuming it can happen, the 27-year-old has the highest of expectations for the turnout.
“You never know, down the line me and him could end up fighting,” Pimblett told Steve-O’s Wild Ride! (h/t MMA News). “It’s a possibility [if he] comes back down to 155 pounds. That would be the biggest pay-per-view in the history of the UFC.”
Pimblett’s last two performances saw him score back-to-back rear-naked chokes that exhilarated the home crowds. As much as he’s enjoyed those atmospheres, Pimblett has continued to express how he feels it’s time he goes bigger. With all three of his first fights being on UFC fight night events, the expectation is that Pimblett will compete on a pay-per-view (PPV) card next, at the very least.
At UFC 281 on Nov. 12, 2022, in New York City, Pimblett’s teammate, Molly McCann, gets a PPV event bout, but she’s featured on the preliminary portion. The pair both fought on 2022’s previous London events, so it will be interesting to hear if the promotion has attempted to make it three for three.