Mike Tyson Responds to Paddy Pimblett’s Rise to Stardom, Similarities to Conor McGregor
After just two appearances inside the Octagon, Paddy Pimblett is already a bonafide combat sports superstar.
Between his high-octane fighting style, gift for gab and undeniable charm, fans around the world are following ‘The Baddy’ in droves. Recently, the Liverpudlian parlayed that popularity into a massive seven-figure deal to be a brand ambassador and content creator for Barstool Sports.
President of Barstool Sports, Dave Portnoy, recently appeared on an episode of ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson’s podcast ‘Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson’ to discuss Paddy Pimblett’s skills in and out of the Octagon. Portnoy discussed seeing traits in Pimblett that remind him of global MMA icon Conor McGregor.
“Paddy the Baddy to me has like the Conor McGregor vibes in the sense of he’s electric on the mic, there’s something about him that’s very different,” Portnoy said. “Conor McGregor, he has that too, and he could fight in there too.”
Like Conor McGregor, Paddy Pimblett Has Started His UFC Career on a Hot Streak
Making his UFC debut in 2013, McGregor scored seven straight victories, six by knockout on his way to becoming the promotion’s first two-division champion. His UFC 229 showdown with Khabib Nurmagomedov is still the hottest selling pay-per-view in company history with 2.2 million buys.
Recognizing Pimblett’s drawing power, Portnoy believes that the UFC will do its best to protect ‘The Baddy’, similar to what the promotion has done with fellow fan-favorite Sean O’Malley.
“We’ll find out, but I think he can definitely fight. How good? We’ll find out but Dana [White] knows and Dana sees what I see in him which is this guy is a meal ticket,” Portnoy said. “They’re not going to put him in versus King Kong anytime soon… and he sold out the London show the other day.”
Responding to the news that Paddy Pimblett had been largely responsible for selling out the next UFC London card on July 23rd, Tyson said, “When guys do that, let them fight. Don’t get him beat please.”
As the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history, ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson went 37-0 and more than five years as a professional before suffering his first career loss. Tyson ended his professional career with a record of 50-6 and is still considered one of the most iconic names in all of combat sports.
