Tag: UFC London

Jordan Leavitt Suprised By Hostility Of Paddy Pimblett Fans: “It Was So Bad It Was Funny”

Jordan LeavittEven though he was stepping into enemy territory, Jordan Leavitt was surprised by the amount of hostility he endured from Paddy Pimblett fans following his UFC London bout with the Liverpudlian. Last week, Leavitt squared off with UK fan-favorite Paddy Pimblett in the UFC’s return to the O2 Arena for the second time in 2022. […]

Jordan Leavitt

Even though he was stepping into enemy territory, Jordan Leavitt was surprised by the amount of hostility he endured from Paddy Pimblett fans following his UFC London bout with the Liverpudlian.

Last week, Leavitt squared off with UK fan-favorite Paddy Pimblett in the UFC’s return to the O2 Arena for the second time in 2022. It was a big step up in competition for Pimblett who was making his third appearance inside the Octagon since his September 2021 debut. In the first round of the bout, it was clear that ‘The Baddy’ was facing some early adversity, but the Scouser was able to flip the script in round two, scoring a submission via rear-naked choke.

In an interview with The MMA-Holes on YouTube, Jordan Leavitt discussed the hostility he experienced while in London for the highly anticipated showdown with England’s newest MMA superstar.

“London was a bit lackluster … I expected hostility and I got more hostility than I bargained for. Yeah, I was very surprised by the negativity, it was so bad that it was funny. Like, I couldn’t help but think it was completely ridiculous because I was like ‘Yo, he’s just 2-0 in the UFC and you guys don’t even know me. Why are you so die hard over this, man?’”

Jordan Leavitt Felt the Hype Behind His Fight with Paddy Pimblett was ‘Manufactured’

When Jordan Leavitt stepped into the Octagon at UFC London, he, like Paddy Pimblett, was on a two-fight win streak with the hopes of making it three. With both fighters being unranked and relative newcomers, Leavitt didn’t feel that the fight was as big as the UFC, and fans in the UK appeared to make it.

“They were all Paddy fanboys and everything, so it was more obnoxious as opposed to feeling cool. Because it’s almost like, if his attention was unwarranted, I definitely felt like my attention was unwarranted. So it’s not like I thought this fight was a big deal. And I didn’t think he was that big of a deal. So for me it all seemed kind of annoying because it all seemed so manufactured. So it was hard to feel excited about it.”

Clearly, Leavitt underestimated the popularity of Paddy Pimblett heading into the UFC London bout. While he has only made three appearances under the UFC banner, ‘The Baddy’ has earned a horde of fans thanks to his propensity for putting on exciting performances inside the cage and his over-the-top binge eating outside of the cage.

Jordan Leavitt Jokes ‘Liverpool Is A Dump’ Following London Loss To Paddy Pimblett

Jordan LeavittTaking his recent UFC London submission loss to Paddy Pimblett in his stride – Jordan Leavitt has now joked that both the city of Liverpool, and the site of his defeat; The O2 Arena in London is “a dump”.  Leavitt, who entered his main card matchup against polarizing Merseyside native, Pimblett off the back of […]

Jordan Leavitt

Taking his recent UFC London submission loss to Paddy Pimblett in his stride – Jordan Leavitt has now joked that both the city of Liverpool, and the site of his defeat; The O2 Arena in London is “a dump”. 

Leavitt, who entered his main card matchup against polarizing Merseyside native, Pimblett off the back of a split decision victory over Trey Ogden earlier this year, was forced to tap against the former Cage Warriors featherweight titleholder via a second round rear-naked choke.

For Pimblett, the outspoken Huyton native managed to land his third straight win during his 10-month Octagon tenure, as well as his third consecutive finish – off the back of a knockout win over Luigi Vendramini, as well as another submission success against Kazula Vargas, the latter of which in the capital back in March. 

Jordan Leavitt admits he was surprised by Paddy Pimblett’s popuiarity

Reflecting on his loss to Pimblett, Leavitt claimed that he was surprised by the former’s “fandom” in the capital – joking that Liverpool and the arena where he suffered defeat were both “dumps”.

“The U.K. is the size of Alabama, man – that’s very small,” Jordan Leavitt told The MMA-Holes during a recent interview. “And the fact that their guy (Paddy Pimblett), in this little small blip of the world it that popular, how could you not follow him, you know?”

“He’s from Liverpool – Liverpool is a dump, you know,” Jordan Leavitt continued. “Like, and so is – the O2 Arena is also a dump.”

Eyeing a return to the Octagon before the close of the year, Pimblett has called for a hometown return at Anfield stadium, while UFC president, Dana White, has claimed that he hopes to field the Next Generation MMA staple in both New York City, and then Las Vegas before a return to the United Kingdom. 

A product of Dana White’s Contender Series, Leavitt, a product of Syndicate MMA in ‘Sin City’ – has landed Octagon wins over Matt Wiman, Matt Sayles, and the aforenoted, Ogden.

Pimblett Shares How Leavitt’s Walk-Out Song Backfired On Him

UFC lightweight Paddy Pimblett delivered with another entertaining walkout and Octagon performance, but he used his opponent’s walkout to fuel him. Pimblett earned another finish over Jordan Leavitt in his Octagon return at UFC London this past w…

UFC lightweight Paddy Pimblett delivered with another entertaining walkout and Octagon performance, but he used his opponent’s walkout to fuel him. Pimblett earned another finish over Jordan Leavitt in his Octagon return at UFC London this past weekend. He sunk in a rear-naked choke submission in Round 2 to remain unbeaten since signing with the…

Continue Reading Pimblett Shares How Leavitt’s Walk-Out Song Backfired On Him at MMA News.

Blaydes Had Planned To Stand & Bang With “Overhyped” Aspinall

UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes is confident that he would have succeeded against Tom Aspinall on the feet at UFC London. For the second time in 2022, Manchester’s Aspinall made the walk inside The O2 for a UK UFC headliner. But while th…

UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes is confident that he would have succeeded against Tom Aspinall on the feet at UFC London. For the second time in 2022, Manchester’s Aspinall made the walk inside The O2 for a UK UFC headliner. But while the first ended in the opening round with his hand raised following a…

Continue Reading Blaydes Had Planned To Stand & Bang With “Overhyped” Aspinall at MMA News.

Chandler: Those Criticizing Paddy Pimblett Are Just “Haters”

Former UFC lightweight title challenger Michael Chandler has taken notice of Paddy Pimblett’s meteoric rise in the 155lb division. Pimblett earned a third-straight UFC win over Jordan Leavitt on the main card of UFC London on Saturday. He’s…

Former UFC lightweight title challenger Michael Chandler has taken notice of Paddy Pimblett’s meteoric rise in the 155lb division. Pimblett earned a third-straight UFC win over Jordan Leavitt on the main card of UFC London on Saturday. He’s now won five straight in stints with Cage Warriors and now in the UFC. Chandler, like Pimblett,…

Continue Reading Chandler: Those Criticizing Paddy Pimblett Are Just “Haters” at MMA News.

The Rock Gives McCann Honorary Elbow Moniker After London KO

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has reacted after UFC women’s flyweight Molly McCann landed her second spinning back elbow knockout of the year. At UFC London this past March, McCann broke through into the mainstream in a major way, sleepin…

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has reacted after UFC women’s flyweight Molly McCann landed her second spinning back elbow knockout of the year. At UFC London this past March, McCann broke through into the mainstream in a major way, sleeping Luana Carolina with a one-and-done spinning elbow. The shot drew a memorable reaction from her home…

Continue Reading The Rock Gives McCann Honorary Elbow Moniker After London KO at MMA News.