English fighter Paddy Pimblett won’t be as active of a UFC fighter as some fans hope.
“The Baddy” (18-3) is one of mixed martial arts’ fastest rising stars, and the lightweight has been successful in both of his Octagon bouts. He made his promotional debut in September 2021 when he knocked out Luigi Vendramini in the first round at UFC Fight Night 191.
He followed up the victory with a first-round rear-naked choke finish over Rodrigo Vargas at UFC Fight Night 204 in March.
Pimblett’s next fight hasn’t been scheduled, and it’s unclear when the Englishman will step inside the cage again. And to the dismay of some of his fans, Pimblett said during a recent episode of “Food Truck Diaries” that he isn’t someone who is going to fight four times a year.
“I make more money outside the octagon and it makes me laugh when people are commenting on my stuff and things saying, ‘He’s not active enough. He doesn’t fight enough. He should be fighting four times a year,’” Pimblett said via MMA Fighting. “Why? Why should I fight four times a year? Give me a reason when I’m earning more outside the cage than I am in it.”
As Pimblett mentioned, he has several things going on for him outside of fighting. For example, he inked a seven-figure deal with Barstool Sports in 2021, and he hosts a podcast and runs a YouTube channel.
Pimblett Said He’s Not Getting Paid His ‘Worth’ By the UFC
The Baddy doesn’t believe he’s making what he should be from the UFC. After his defeat of Vargas during the promotion’s return to England, Pimblett disclosed his pay. Although he earned a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, The Baddy only received $24,000 to fight ($12,000 to show, $12,000 to win).
During his “Food Truck Diaries” interview, Pimblett said he’d “fight for free.” But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t taken issue with his pay.
“You want to fight to keep things going but as I’ve just said, I just genuinely like fighting,” Pimblett said. “Don’t know what it is. If no one else got paid, and everyone was doing it for free, then I’d fight for free. But everyone else is getting paid, and some of them are getting paid their worth, I’m not getting paid my worth so there’s no point in rushing back into the cage when I can eat burgers like this and sit and chill (laughs).”
Pimblett Waves Off Idea of Him Fighting the Lightweight Elite
Another thing some fight fans want to see is The Baddy locked in a cage with the elite of 155 pounds. But, Pimblett said he isn’t ready for that, and he won’t be for another three years.
“I’ve had people tweeting me in the past few weeks saying, ‘We want to see him face [Islam] Makhachev, we want to see him face [Tony] Ferguson, we want to see him face [Justin] Gaethje,’” Pimblett continued. “I’m like what?! I won’t be fighting them for about three years and then that’s if they’re still at the top of the game by then.
“There’s no point. The fans don’t always see [it this way] do they? They’re just, ‘I want to see this, I want to see that.’ You can understand it. You want to see fights don’t you as a fight fan?”
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UFC Rising Star Paddy Pimblett Crushes the Hope of Some Fans