Paddy Pimblett`s popularity is rapidly increasing, and Brendan Schaub suggests everyone should recognize his potential now.
“The Baddy” became the main attraction at UFC 314 last Saturday, arguably overshadowing even Alexander Volkanovski`s featherweight title defense and Jean Silva’s exciting victory. Pimblett convincingly defeated experienced lightweight contender Michael Chandler, securing a TKO victory in the third round through ground and pound.
Prior to the fight, MMA legend Demetrious Johnson had already highlighted Pimblett as a future UFC champion. Now, Brendan Schaub is amplifying this praise, suggesting Pimblett could become the biggest star in all of mixed martial arts.
“I’ve been around many fighters,” Schaub stated on his YouTube channel. “Nobody is more captivating, has more star power, or commands attention like Paddy Pimblett when he enters a room. Conor McGregor was the only other person with that ability. I keep saying, Paddy is the closest we`ll get to another Conor – there will never be another Conor exactly – but Paddy Pimblett is the nearest equivalent, and he proved it again tonight.”
“People are realizing, ‘He’s actually better than I thought.’ Absolutely. If you watch his fights, you can see he has all the qualities needed. He will continue to surprise doubters, much like Conor did. There’s nothing like witnessing the rise of a star. Get on board now. … Paddy Pimblett is poised to be the UFC’s next global superstar.”
Pimblett joined the UFC in 2021 with significant buzz from his successful run in Cage Warriors, a UK-based promotion that also launched McGregor and other UFC stars. He has since become a polarizing figure. Despite winning his first four UFC bouts, a controversial decision win over Jared Gordon led to criticism, but he has continued his winning streak and currently holds a 7-0 record in the UFC.
The win against Chandler was Pimblett`s most impressive performance to date. Regardless of his critics, he is likely only one or two more significant wins away from a title opportunity. Schaub then speculated about a scenario where Jack Della Maddalena wins the welterweight title at UFC 315, lightweight champion Islam Makhachev moves up to welterweight, and Pimblett faces a returning Conor McGregor for the vacant lightweight championship.
“It’s possible to lure Conor back, if he gets serious, because everyone still underestimates Paddy, thinking he’s an easy fight even as he approaches the top 10. But he will be a top 10 fighter, without a doubt,” Schaub said. “Many veterans, including Conor McGregor, believe they can defeat Paddy. They are mistaken. Paddy is constantly improving with every fight. I’m telling you, he’s the future face of the UFC.”
“Conor might think, ‘This kid is popular. He’s the face of UK MMA. But his striking isn’t elite’ – again, they’d be wrong – ‘I’ll fight Paddy.’ I think Islam might move up, assuming Belal Muhammad doesn`t disrupt things. Then the lightweight title becomes vacant. Paddy might just need one more win. A fight between Paddy and Ilia Topuria doesn`t make sense now, but what would draw massive viewership, even more than Islam vs. Topuria or Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall, is Conor McGregor versus Paddy Pimblett. If Paddy defeats Conor, he becomes the biggest star in the UFC. That’s the ideal scenario for the UFC.”
