Issue 197
October 2023
Paddy Pimblett has gone from local hero to global superstar since his arrival in the UFC. We take a look at five fights that helped cement him as one of the biggest rising stars of the Octagon.
Johnny Frachey, Cage Warriors 78, September 10, 2016 (won CW featherweight title)
Pimblett’s first shot at Cage Warriors gold came at Cage Warriors 78, where he faced French grappler Johnny Frachey for the vacant featherweight title.
Frachey was 11 years older than 21-year-old Pimblett, and was expected to give the Liverpudlian the sternest test of his emerging career having gone 10-2 in the previous six years. But Pimblett made light of the age and experience gap with a blistering display to capture the 145-pound strap.
“Every so often in MMA you get the sense that you’re witnessing something special,” said Cage Warriors commentator Brad Wharton as Pimblett bounced his way to the cage to his now-familiar walkout music.
“We had it in Dublin with Conor McGregor. We might just have it tonight in Liverpool with Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett.”
Those words proved to be prophetic as, on the biggest night of his career to that point, Pimblett rose to the occasion and knocked out Frachey in 95 seconds to capture the 145-pound title as he lifted the roof off the Echo Arena in Liverpool.
After a feeling-out period that saw Pimblett keep Frachey at distance with kicks to the legs and body, the Scouser shot in for an unsuccessful takedown attempt, which Frachey easily stuffed.
Pimblett got back to his feet, then switched gears to score a huge knockout win. A flying knee fell just short, but forced Frachey onto the back foot. Then, with the Frenchman off balance, Pimblett connected with a huge overhand right that dropped his man into a crumpled heap against the cage.
The Echo Arena exploded, and Pimblett sat atop the cage, arms folded, nodding his head. “The Baddy” had well and truly arrived.
Relive the fight on UFC Fight Pass: https://ufcfightpass.com/video/43982/paddy-pimblett-vs-johnny-frachey-cage-warriors-fc-78
Davide Martinez, Cage Warriors 122, March 20, 2021 (final fight in CW)
By 2021, Pimblett had moved up to lightweight and had fallen agonizingly short of capturing the promotion’s 155-pound title in his 2018 bout with Soren Bak. The COVID-19 pandemic had robbed him of the chance to bounce back immediately, with Pimblett desperate to get back in the cage and kickstart his career once again.
A first-round TKO of short-notice opponent Decky Dalton at Cage Warriors 113 helped him blow off the cobwebs, but his performance against Davide Martinez at Cage Warriors 122 showed that he was ready to make the leap to the big stage.
Lockdown restrictions in the UK meant there was no raucous crowd in attendance at London’s York Hall, but Pimblett looked locked in and ready to deliver a statement in the English capital, and he did just that.
Martinez arrived in excellent form, riding a six-fight win streak. But Pimblett was in the best shape of his career, and needed less than two minutes to put the Italian away with a rear-naked choke finish after bamboozling him with strikes.
It proved to be the final fight of Pimblett’s Cage Warriors run, with “The Baddy” signing to the UFC shortly after his win.
Relive the fight on UFC Fight Pass: https://ufcfightpass.com/video/211877/paddy-pimblett-vs-davide-martinez-cage-warriors-122
Luigi Vendramini, UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Till, September 4, 2021 (UFC debut)
Five years on from his first Cage Warriors title win, Pimblett made his long-awaited Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Till at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
His first UFC opponent was Luigi Vendramini, a 9-2 prospect with a point to prove, and the Brazilian made his mark in the first minute of the bout as he connected with a huge right hook on the debuting Pimblett.
Pimblett shook off the shot and started to settle, using his kicks to maintain range and keep Vendramini on the outside. But the Brazilian pushed forward again and connected with more strikes.
Vendramini seemed to be having the better of the exchanges but, with 60 seconds to go in the opening round, Pimblett flipped the switch, planted his feet and let his hands fly with a blistering combination to score a dramatic and spectacular finish.
The crowd was on its feet, the UFC commentary team were hyped up Pimblett’s teammate Molly McCann was bouncing around the arena floor in celebration as chants of “Paddy! Paddy!” rang around the Apex.
It was Pimblett’s first fight, and first win, in the UFC, and in the post-fight interview, it also gave the Liverpudlian to replay one of his most famous catchphrases as he chatted with Michael Bisping.
“You know my saying, lad,” he told Bisping.
“I’m a Scouser. We don’t get knocked out. I take that s**t all day!”
“The Baddy” had arrived, and he predicted what was to come when he said, “I’m the new man, lad. People are going to be calling me out now. You know who the boy is!”
Relive the fight on UFC Fight Pass: https://ufcfightpass.com/video/249509/paddy-pimblett-vs-luigi-vendramini-ufc-vegas-36
Rodrigo Vargas, UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall, March 19, 2022
With the UFC emerging from the global pandemic, the Octagon headed across the pond to the UK, and Pimblett was ready to steal the show at The O2 Arena.
Standing in his way was Rodrigo “Kazula” Vargas, who had picked up his first UFC victory in his previous outing, and the Mexico imposed his game on Pimblett right from the off as he landed an early takedown on the Brit.
Pimblett stayed composed on his back and shut down Vargas’ top game before using the cage to work his way back to his feet. Vargas continued to keep the fight up close as he forced the Englishman against the cage fence. But Pimblett had plenty of tricks in his locker and, told by his corner to “J-Flo him!” Pimblett executed a perfect judo throw, a technique he had worked on with judo ace Justin Flores in San Diego in the lead-up to the fight.
The throw sent Vargas crashing to the canvas and gave Pimblett the chance to turn the tables on his opponent. “The Baddy immediately worked his way to the back, locked up a body triangle, then applied a tight rear-naked choke that forced Vargas to tap with just over a minute remaining in the first round.
The O2 Arena exploded as an elated Pimblett hurdled the fence to greet UFC president Dana White at Octagonside before celebrating with McCann inside the cage.
It was the first time Pimblett had competed in front of a packed arena since the pandemic, and it proved to the UFC that they had a bonafide star on their hands.
Relive the fight on UFC Fight Pass: https://ufcfightpass.com/video/338395/paddy-pimblett-vs-kazula-vargas-ufc-london
Jordan Leavitt, UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Aspinall, July 23, 2022
After two first-round finishes, there were calls for Pimblett to be handed higher-level opposition, and the UFC did just that when they booked him against Contender Series graduate Jordan Leavitt, whose own unorthodox style was expected by many to pose an interesting test of the Englishman’s credentials.
The fight was booked for the UFC’s swift return to the UK, just four months after his victory over Vargas, but the quick turnaround was no issue for Pimblett, who produced another crowd-pleasing display to further elevate his star power on the sport’s biggest stage.
By this point, the UFC knew they had a major star on their hands, and Pimblett’s walkout was given the main event treatment as he made his way to the Octagon in front of a raucous London crowd.
But, despite all of the showmanship on his way to the cage, Pimblett is a competitor, and as soon as he got to his corner, his demeanor changed and he locked in on his opponent.
The bout itself saw Leavitt take Pimblett deeper into a fight than either of the Englishman’s previous two opponents. But, despite taking “The Baddy” into the second round, he was unable to prevent the Brit from claiming his third successive UFC victory.
Leavitt started well as he initiated the clinch and looked to grapple against the cage, but Pimblett countered with a flying guillotine choke that briefly appeared to have Leavitt in trouble before the American eventually worked his way free. Pimblett threatened with another guillotine choke attempt late in the round as he finished a very competitive round on top.
Pimblett turned to his striking early in Round 2 as he looked to keep Leavitt at bay, but the American was determined to close the distance and wrestle, and forced the action against the cage once again.
With Leavitt looking to secure a takedown, Pimblett countered with a modified choke, before connecting with a big knee that seemed to rock Leavitt. The action then went to the canvas, as Pimblett took Leavitt’s back and controlled his posture with a body triangle.
Leavitt tried to work his way free, but left himself open for a rear-naked choke. Pimblett snatched his neck, applied the squeeze, and forced the tap.
It was another fight that saw Pimblett fight his way through some tricky positions but as we’d seen previously, he found the answer and claimed the finish.
His victory alone would have made headlines, but his emotional post-fight speech arguably superseded his performance as he used his interview to pay tribute to a friend who had taken his own life during fight week, before imploring men around the world to look after their mental health.
Relive the fight on UFC Fight Pass: https://ufcfightpass.com/video/377739/paddy-pimblett-vs-jordan-leavitt-ufc-london
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