UFC lightweight prospect Paddy Pimblett has insisted that nothing about his personality is fake or contrived.
Since arriving on MMA’s biggest stage last September, Pimblett has rapidly shown the global audience the kind of fighting action and charisma that brought him attention in the UK’s Cage Warriors promotion, where he held featherweight gold.
After a debut knockout of Luigi Vendramini in Las Vegas’s Apex Center — as well as an entertaining post-fight interview — announced himself to the division, “The Baddy” has followed that up with back-to-back victories in front of home crowds at UFC London in March and July.
From Twitter beef and social media bans to memorable podcast and media day appearances, not to mention a hotel altercation with Ilia Topuria and the attempted delivery of a Modern Warfare-esque teabag to Jordan Leavitt, Pimblett hasn’t struggled to make the headlines during his year in the UFC.
And while some would perhaps suggest that the Liverpudlian’s rise to fame in the Octagon is somewhat down to an “act” or character, Pimblett says he’s just being himself.
Pimblett: I’m Not Like Covington
During a recent appearance on the Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson podcast, Pimblett discussed the personality that fans have come to know in recent months, with MMA fanatic Steve-O praising him for his heartwarming post-fight speech on mental health inside The O2 arena a few months back.
Addressing those who question his authenticity, Pimblett dismissed the idea that anything he does is an “act.” Naming controversial UFC welterweight Colby Covington as an example, “The Baddy” insisted that he dislikes fighters who attempt to reach the top by playing a character.
“It’s just me, lad. What you see is what you get,” Pimblett said. “People always ask, ‘Is it an act?’ This and that. No, do you think I’d be able to keep up an act like this? You know how hard this would be, lad, to be like this all the time if it’s not you?
“And I don’t like people who are like that. Like, you might like them but I don’t like the Colby Covingtons of the world who act like a pro wrestler. It’s just not me,” Pimblett added.
With Pimblett’s popularity and growth seemingly moving in one upwards direction, it stands to reason that there’s a whole lot more of the Liverpudlian’s actions, both inside and outside the Octagon, for his fans to look forward to — or his detractors to dread.
And having created wild scenes in England’s capital on two separate occasions this year, Pimblett will be hoping to recreate them on the pay-per-view stage in Las Vegas, where he hopes his next outing will take place.
And given the reception he received as a guest at UFC San Diego in August, it certainly seems a possibility should he record a fourth straight UFC win on US soil.
Do you have any doubts about Paddy Pimblett’s authenticity?