Paddy Pimblett is rapidly gaining popularity, and Brendan Schaub is urging everyone to recognize his potential now.
At UFC 314, “The Baddy” stole the spotlight, arguably overshadowing Alexander Volkanovski`s featherweight title defense and Jean Silva`s impressive submission victory over Bryce Mitchell. Pimblett dominated veteran lightweight contender Michael Chandler, securing a knockout victory in just under three rounds with ground and pound.
Prior to the fight, MMA legend Demetrious Johnson had already praised Pimblett as a future UFC champion. Now, Schaub is going even further, suggesting Pimblett could become the biggest star in all of MMA.
“I’ve worked with many fighters,” Schaub stated on his YouTube channel. “No one is more captivating, possesses more star power, or commands attention like Paddy Pimblett when he enters a room. Conor McGregor was the only other person with that level of magnetism. I`ve been saying it, Paddy is the closest we`ll get to another Conor – there will never be another Conor, but Paddy Pimblett is the closest, and he proved it again tonight.”
“People are realizing, ‘He’s actually better than I thought.’ Absolutely. If you watch his fights, it’s clear he has all the qualities. He will continue to surprise people, much like Conor did. There’s nothing more exciting than watching someone rise to the top. Get on board now. Paddy Pimblett is the next global superstar for the UFC.”
Pimblett joined the UFC in 2021 with significant buzz after a successful stint in Cage Warriors in England, the same organization that launched McGregor and other UFC stars. He has since become a polarizing figure. Despite winning his first four UFC fights, a controversial decision win against Jared Gordon led to skepticism. However, Pimblett has maintained his winning streak and currently boasts a 7-0 record in the UFC.
The victory over Chandler was Pimblett`s most impressive performance to date. Regardless of his critics, he is likely only one or two significant wins away from a title shot. Schaub also speculated about a scenario where Jack Della Maddalena defeats Belal Muhammad for the welterweight title at UFC 315, lightweight champion Islam Makhachev moves up to seek a second title, and Pimblett faces a returning McGregor for the vacant lightweight championship.
“It’s possible to lure Conor back, for him to get serious, because many still view Paddy as an easy matchup in the top 10, and he will undoubtedly reach the top 10,” Schaub commented. “Many veterans, including Conor McGregor, believe they can easily defeat Paddy. They are mistaken. Paddy is constantly improving with each fight. I`m telling you, he is the future face of the UFC.”
“Conor might think, ‘This kid is popular. He’s the face of UK MMA. His striking isn’t world-class’ – again, they are wrong – ‘I will fight Paddy.’ I believe Islam might move up – ideally, Belal Muhammad doesn`t disrupt this – leaving the lightweight title vacant. Paddy only needs one more big win. A fight between Paddy and Ilia Topuria doesn`t make sense right now, but a Conor McGregor versus Paddy Pimblett fight makes perfect sense and would draw more viewers than Islam versus Topuria or Jon Jones versus Tom Aspinall. If Paddy defeats Conor, he becomes the biggest star in the UFC. That’s the ideal scenario for the UFC.”
Marcus Blakely