Robert Whittaker isn’t as harsh on Paddy Pimblett’s UFC 324 performance as others are.
Pimblett fought for an opportunity to lay claim to the interim UFC Lightweight Championship. A win for “The Baddy” would’ve set the stage for an undisputed title grudge match against Ilia Topuria. Pimblett needed to get past Justin Gaethje, but he did not succeed. Despite Pimblett’s efforts, “The Highlight” walked out of T-Mobile Arena with the interim gold.
Taking to his MMArcade Podcast, Whittaker shared what impressed him about Pimblett’s performance despite the loss.
“Paddy’s heart, the grit of this kid,” Whittaker began. “I don’t care that he lost the fight. He comes back and murders most guys. Obviously, myself and everybody else is worried about how much a fight like this takes out of you, but he’s super young. I think he’s young enough to bounce back from a fight like this to turn it into a super power moving forward because not many people survive Gaethje like he did or have moments of greatness late in the fight after taking the hits that he took.”
Pimblett’s lightweight rivals haven’t been shy in bashing “The Baddy’s” performance against Gaethje. Reigning UFC Lightweight Champion Ilia Topuria took to social media and criticized Pimblett for missing out on their grudge match. Arman Tsarukyan went as far as to call Pimblett a “trash can” during the UFC 324 post-show.
During his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Pimblett praised Gaethje and called him a legend in MMA. He also vowed to improve in his next outing and he believes he’ll only get better from here. What’s next for Pimblett will be a story to watch in the coming months, but he’ll look to rest after being a part of a five-round slugfest.
Who would you book Paddy Pimblett against next? Let us know in the comment section.
