Getty Paddy Pimblett before his fight.
UFC star Paddy Pimblett claimed he got the better of Jared Gordon in a grappling training session.
Rising prospect Pimblett is set to take on veteran Gordon in the co-main event of UFC 282 this Saturday, Dec. 10 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is coming off a hard-fought win over Jordan Leavitt in his last outing at UFC London in July and will look to extend his three-fight winning run under the banner.
On the other hand, Gordon got back in the winning column against Leonardo Santos in August at UFC 278 after dropping a bout to Grant Dawson by submission earlier this year.
In an interview with BT Sport, Pimblett sat down with former UFC middleweight champion-turned-analyst and commentator Michael Bisping to discuss the nearing clash and made a bold claim.
“I’ve rolled with Jared Gordon before in the Blue Basement in 2018,” said Pimblett. “I rolled with him and submitted him twice in five minutes; a guillotine and a triangle. I don’t think he can remember that. I was a big fat bastard then. I was about 90 kilos (198.4 pounds).
Pimblett Dismissed Gordon as a Tougher Challenge
Pimblett made his way into the UFC as a proven English sensation who held the Cage Warriors featherweight title. He got off to a successful start in the promotion with a knockout victory over Luigi Vendramini in his debut in Sep. 2021. He followed it up with another first-round finish of Rodrigo Vargas, where he locked in a rear-naked choke for the win.
He has no intentions of rushing his growth in the sport and wants to build himself up by facing tougher opponents each fight. While many believe Gordon is the right step up next, ‘The Baddy’ disagrees.
“I think I’m better than him everywhere. I’ve got better striking, better jiu-jitsu, better wrestling, got more heart, and a better chin. I don’t see where he can beat me,” he continued. “I know people call him a step up but personally I think Jordan Leavitt submits him and I think Luigi Vendramini knocked him out.”
“I submitted him twice in five minutes when I was fat and out of shape and I had a broken hand,” he added. “That was before my surgery. That was early March 2018; the improvements I’ve made in the past four and a half years, they’re ridiculous. I’m a completely different fighter now.”
Pimblett Is Not Surprised by His Popularity
The 27-year-old Scouser shared his thoughts on his rise to stardom during Wednesday’s UFC 282 pre-fight press conference.
“I always saw this in my future and knew what was coming,” Pimblett said (transcribed by MMA Fighting). “I always said I’m going to be the biggest star in this sport and none of it takes me by surprise.
“I’m fighting in America, and I know full well, Jared’s going to get booed. I’m going to get cheered. That’s a fact. It just is. It’s going to be mad for him, because he might think he might get a good cheer, and when he’s standing in that cage and everyone’s singing, ‘Oh Paddy the Baddy,’ his ass is going to fall out of him.”