This coming weekend will we see the rise of another unstoppable Irish mixed martial arts star? That is the real question surrounding Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett as he makes his debut at the UFC Apex center in Las Vegas at UFC Fight Night 191. This guy is exciting, wild and woolly and as entertaining in the ring as he is out.
After rising in the ranks at Cage Warriors in the UK he will now be put to the test in the biggest show on the planet and get to hear Bruce Buffer say the name Paddy Pimblett. UFC fans should by all means be thrilled at his addition to the lightweight roster in my opinion.
Will the bright lights at the UFC Apex facility and pressure from reaching a massive audience be too much for the Irishman? It’s anybody’s guess, but for sure the UFC brass is hoping Pimblett can re-create even a portion of the meteoric rise of Conor McGregor.
So what is all the fuss about this Paddy guy? Well, when was the last time you saw a fighter land a flying triangle/armbar submission in modern mixed martial arts competition? Pulling something like that off in a professional cage fight is no joke and he made it look easy. He puts together excellent combinations on the feet and is dangerous with angles.
His two most recent losses came by way of the judges in title fights… To find his only other loss you have to go way back to 2013. Of course, we have seen a number of highly touted prospects cross over from other promotions only to either fizzle out completely, or not see much success in the beginning of their UFC tenure. Even the likes of Shogun Rua had the jitters in his debut and had a disappointing showing against Forest Griffin.
All that aside, the UFC’s lightweight division is in dire need of an entertaining star. Yes Dustin Poirier is a great fighter, so are Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler… But do they really move the needle the way stars like Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor do? I think not.
We all know that Luigi Vandramini isn’t a massive draw and he is 1-2 in his first three UFC appearances. He is a fairly exciting fighter that should make for a decent contest and an entertaining fight if nothing else.
So what will they do with Pimblett if he wins in impressive fashion on Saturday night at the UFC Apex Las Vegas? Will they slow play him like they have the “Sugar Show” Sean O’Malley? Or fast track him to get the most bang for their buck in short order? What happens if he falls flat and loses a lack luster decision?
One thing we know is that the kid has a solid following and the UFC badly needs an Irishman they can count on since Conor has been in full meltdown mode since losing to the Diamond for a second straight fight. The market is just too good to pass up with dedicated, fervent fans that are willing to fly halfway around the world just to see one of their countrymen fight.
All told, I can’t wait to see this kid get in there and bang. I’m rooting for him for sure and I imagine that a lot of other people are feeling the same. Good luck on Saturday good sir!
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