Paddy Pimblett determined to win back fans in Octagon return: ‘Everyone will be sucking my arse again’
Paddy Pimblett is finally willing to admit that his last appearance inside the Octagon left a lot to be desired.
‘The Baddy’ stormed into the UFC in 2021 and quickly emerged as a fan favorite thanks to his high-octane style of fighting and his infectious personality. His star power continued to rise as fans became enamored with the Liverpudlian’s penchant for binge-eating after every fight, gaining and re-losing as much as 50 pounds between scraps. However, things took a turn for the worse following his fourth appearance with the promotion last December.
Paddy Pimblett was thrust into the co-main event of UFC 282 against lightweight standout Jared ‘Flash’ Gordon. After 15 grueling minutes, all signs pointed toward ‘The Baddy’ suffering his first defeat inside the Octagon. Everyone seemingly scored the bout in favor of ‘Flash’ but the only three opinions that mattered didn’t see it that way. All three judges scored the bout for Pimblett via unanimous decision, a ruling that has since been dubbed the worst decision in the history of the sport. It also earned MMA Junkie’s 2022 Robbery of the Year honors. Fans, fighters, and analysts were in shock and immediately called shenanigans on the illogical scoring.
While the decision was no fault of Paddy Pimblett’s, the scouser did no favors for himself by suggesting in his post-fight interview that it was a Fight of the Night worthy performance and a clear-cut win for him. Fans quickly turned on Pimblett after he refused to admit that he had stolen a victory and continued to double-down on his performance in subsequent interviews.
Paddy Pimblett Admits His Performance Against Jared Gordon was ‘Sh*t’
Since then, Paddy Pimblett has revisited the fight and while he still believes he won, ‘The Baddy’ recognizes that his performance was far from his best work.
“I can’t wait (to return). I’m hoping to fight before the end of the year to be honest, kick some little fart’s head in” Pimblett said in a video on his YouTube channel. “I was sh*t in my last fight, lad. It was a bad performance. I’ve said it myself, you’re only as good as your last fight and I looked sh*t. But when I come back, everyone will be sucking my arse again” (h/t MMA News).
Pimblett suffered an ankle injury during the bout that required surgery. Now back in the gym, ‘The Paddy’ hopes to fight before the end of 2023, though early 2024 seems a little more likely given the gravity of the injury. Regardless of when he makes his highly anticipated return, Pimblett seems determined to come back better than ever and regain the respect of fans and his peers.
