Despite Pimblett’s assertions about the lack of expectations around him, it’s hard to talk the way he talks and not create excitement. The fans and the haters come out of the woodwork in a sort of call-and-response and, so far, all Pimblett has done is back up his bullish chatter.
In his first 10 months on the roster, Pimblett turned into quite the lightning rod. From his confident nature to his post-fight eating habits, everyone seems to have an opinion on “The Baddy.” What you cannot deny, however, are the results: two fights, two first-round finishes and a boatload of fans hopping on the bandwagon. Pimblett is the first to tell you that it is all part of his plan.
Order UFC 277: Peña vs Nunes 2
“I love being right,” he said. “It’s just great, especially when people have doubted you for so many years and hated on you. It’s brilliant to just prove yourself right and show everyone I am the boy. Everyone is starting to get the gist. They’ll get it even more after Saturday night.”
Pimblett credits his self-described “fall from grace” after he captured the Cage Warriors featherweight title a couple months shy of his 22nd birthday. He lost two of his next three fights and realized he needed to sort out the kinds of people he kept close to him.