Is UFC 304 possibly Paddy Pimblett’s final fight with the promotion?
Paddy “The Baddy” is set to take another stiff step up in competition in Manchester on July 27th when he fights Bobby Green in what happens to be the final fight on his current UFC contract. While the popular British fighter is hoping to stay with the promotion, he didn’t rule out the possibility of a big money influencer bout.
“It goes without saying: I wouldn’t want to go to a different organization,” Pimblett said in an interview with MMA Junkie. “UFC is the cream of the crop. It’s the main place. When you say to people, ‘I do MMA.’ Most of them go, ‘What’s that?’ You say, ‘UFC.’ People don’t even know what MMA is. They know what UFC is.”
However, it’s hard to predict. It’s possible that some of these foolish YouTubers involved in boxing might eventually propose a lucrative deal for me to fight against one of them. Therefore, only time will tell the outcome.
Pimblett is not on the verge of leaving, but rather, a victory against Green would elevate him to the top 15 rankings. After that, his sights are set on challenging the 10th-ranked Renato Moicano.
Pimblett expressed his desire to fight Moicano, stating that they have engaged in a friendly exchange. He believes it would be truly entertaining to participate in a season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ alongside Moicano, considering it could potentially become one of the most remarkable seasons in the show’s history.
Pimblett is popular enough to spark interest back up in that old workhorse of a show. Will the UFC be willing to pay him commensurate to that popularity, or are they going to try and nickel and dime him they way they did when he first arrived in the UFC? He’ll have to prove his worth in the cage against “King” Green if he wants to improve on his current ‘big money’ contract.
It would be truly unfortunate if “The Baddy” were to depart for the peculiar realm of influencer combat sports. We can only hope that both parties reach a mutually beneficial agreement, allowing him to remain in his rightful place.
