Rising UFC lightweight star Paddy Pimblett has provided a timeframe for having gold wrapped around his waist inside the Octagon.
Since his arrival on MMA’s biggest stage in 2021, former Cage Warriors champion Pimblett has quickly developed into one of the most talked about athletes on the UFC’s roster, both through his charisma on the microphone and ability inside the cage.
So far into his brief tenure in the promotion, “The Baddy” has stopped three foes, one via knockout and two by way of submission. Most recently, he made it back-to-back wins in 2022 by forcing talented grappler Jordan Leavitt to tap at July’s edition of UFC London.
While he’s impressed some with his displays to date, others have dismissed the Liverpool native’s title credentials owing to the level of competition he’s facing. Despite only debuting in the UFC last September, many have accused “The Baddy” of avoiding high-level opponents.
Pimblett, however, has shown little care for that narrative, insisting that he plans on rising the ladder at an appropriate pace whilst making his contracts more lucrative in the process.
That attitude is reflected in his expectation when it comes to a date for his championship crowning inside the Octagon.
Pimblett Targets Gold On His Waist Within 4 Years
During a recent appearance on Pub Talk with Alan Brazil and Ray Parlour, Pimblett was asked how far away he believes he is from fighting for the UFC’s 155-pound gold.
The 27-year-old insisted that he’s not looking to break any records when it comes to securing a fast ascent to the top, claiming to be in “no rush.” With that in mind, he pointed to 2025 and 2026 as the likely timeframe for having Dana White wrap the title around his waist.
“I’m in no rush, you know? People want me to start fighting people like Michael Chandler and Dustin Poirier now. I’m like, ‘Do you not know how this sport works?’ You have to climb the rankings before you start fighting the top five,” Pimblett said. “I’m gonna be champion about 2025, 2026. I’m in no rush. I’m gonna climb me way up the ladder and earn a lot of money while I do so… This is prizefighting.”
If Pimblett is to remain on track, he’ll have to make it three-for-three when he completes his trio of 2022 appearances tonight at UFC 282.
In what is expected to be his toughest test to date, “The Baddy” will share the cage inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena with Jared Gordon, a veteran who’s faced the likes of Charles Oliveira and Grant Dawson in the UFC.
What do you make of Paddy Pimblett’s championship prediction?
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