Paddy Pimblett: “I’ve got one of the hardest schedules” In the UFC But Fans Keep Moving the Goalposts
Paddy Pimblett thinks his road to a UFC title opportunity has been much harder than fans give him credit for.
On January 24, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will kick off its Paramount+ era with a stacked lineup headlined by an interim lightweight title tilt between Pimblett and perennial contender Justin Gaethje.
The pairing was met with some criticism from fight fans, many suggesting that Pimblett had not done enough to justify the No. 5 ranking or his golden opportunity at UFC 324.
‘The Baddy’ disagrees.
“You could say I’ve got one of the hardest schedules, but not one fight in the UFC is easy,” Pimblett told MMA Junkie. “Every single fight is hard in the UFC. People just move the goalposts when it comes to me. I was going to get knocked out by Michael Chandler, I was going to get knocked out by Bobby Green, but then when I beat both of them they’re both old and washed and they’re not good enough.
“So it’s all about perspective. Every single fight in the UFC is tough. It’s the best of the best in the world.”
Has Paddy Pimblett Done Enough to Justify His Title Shot
While one can certainly agree with Pimblett’s insistence that there are no easy fights in the UFC, it doesn’t change the fact that his last three wins came against Tony Ferguson, Bobby Green, and Michael Chandler.
Once upon a time, that would be one hell of a hit list, but by the time they stepped inside the Octagon with Pimblett, Ferguson was sitting on a six-fight losing streak, and Chandler had only won two fights since making his UFC debut back in 2021 — one of those wins coming against Ferguson.
Do you think Pimblett has done enough inside the Octagon to earn his interim title shot at UFC 324?
