Paddy Pimblett has been called out by top-10-ranked UFC lightweight Mateusz Gamrot after he made disparaging comments about him.
Gamrot defeated Esteban Ribovics by second-round submission at UFC 327 this past weekend in Miami in one of his cleanest performances in the UFC to date. “Gamer” was able to take down Ribovics at will during the bout, before locking in the arm-triangle choke in round two for the victory.
Despite an impressive performance, Pimblett was critical of Gamrot in the aftermath, calling him “boring” and saying that the fans don’t care about him in a YouTube video. Evidentially, Gamrot saw the video and took to social media to respond to his opponent, calling Pimblett a clown and saying he wants to fight him next.
Paddy Pimblett Has No Upcoming Fight Booked
After starting his UFC career with a perfect 7-0 record, Pimblett fought Justin Gaethje for the interim UFC lightweight title in the main event of UFC 324, the promotion’s debut event on Paramount+. However, while Pimblett entered the fight as the betting favorite, he was beaten up badly by Gaethje over the course of five rounds and lost a unanimous decision at the end of 25 minutes. While it was an exciting bout that won “Fight of the Night,” Pimblett’s stock no doubt cratered after absorbing 144 significant strikes and suffering two knockdowns in the fight.
Had Pimblett beaten Gaethje, then he would have been headlining UFC Freedom 250 against UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria, but instead, Gaethje is. Since Pimblett lost that key interim title fight, his career is at a crossroads now, and he doesn’t have his next bout booked yet. However, if Gamrot has his way, then the UFC will give him the man who has been ultra-critical of his run inside the Octagon. Given they are right next to each other in the UFC rankings, this is a fight that makes sense on paper. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that these two fighters do not like each other.
Gamrot Moved up Rankings Following UFC 327 Win
After beating Ribovics, Gamrot moved up to No. 7 overall in the official UFC lightweight rankings. The win improved Gamrot’s overall UFC record to 9-4, with many of his fights coming against the best fighters in the division, including a notable decision win over top contender Arman Tsarukyan. However, Gamrot has yet to fight for a UFC title in his career, and to get there, he will have to keep beating fighters ranked above him, of which Pimblett is ranked one spot above at No. 6.
UFC president Dana White recently teased that the UFC could return to Liverpool, England, where Pimblett is from. Should the UFC indeed return to Liverpool, then Pimblett makes sense as a potential headliner, and a fight against his rival Gamrot would be an excellent main event bout.
We will see what the UFC ultimately ends up doing with Pimblett and Gamrot, but given their apparent disdain for one another, plus the fact that they are ranked No.6 and No. 7, respectively, in the UFC rankings, this is a fight that makes a whole lot of sense to get booked for each other next.
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