UFC lightweight Jared Gordon believes that upcoming opponent Paddy Pimblett may come to regret mentioning his name when he signed with the promotion.
After exchanging callouts and interview mentions for over a year, Pimblett and Gordon are finally set to collide in what is widely expected to mark the toughest test of the former’s UFC career to date.
Having earned stoppage victories in his first three outings, knocking out Luigi Vendramini on debut in 2021 and subsequently submitting Kazula Vargas and Jordan Leavitt this year, Pimblett will look to close out his 2022 with a successful first appearance on the pay-per-view stage.
And with some shuffling at the top of the UFC 282 card, set for tonight, December 10, “The Baddy” and “Flash” Gordon find themselves preparing to make their walk for a co-main event showdown.
Unlike Pimblett’s past opponents inside the Octagon, his latest pairing comes with some history behind it.
At UFC Fight Island 1 in 2020, Gordon defeated Chris Fishgold, who trains alongside Pimblett at Liverpool’s Next Generation MMA gym. With that in mind, “The Baddy” outlined his plans to exact revenge for his teammate and fellow former Cage Warriors champion upon his Octagon arrival.
Gordon Thinks Pimblett May Regret Mentioning His Name
During a recent interview with The Schmo, Gordon assessed how his matchup with Pimblett, whom he recently branded a ‘quitter’, came together for the UFC’s year-ending pay-per-view event.
After establishing that the initial callout came out of the Brit’s mouth rather than his, “Flash” Gordon sent Pimblett a warning.
“I fought his teammate, Chris Fishgold, in Fight Island in 2020. That is Paddy’s teammate. I beat Chris, and as Paddy was getting signed, before he made his debut, in interviews, he was throwing names out. They were asking him, ‘Who do you want to fight in your debut?’ I was one of the names he mentioned because he wants to get that win back for his team.
“So, he had my name in his mouth before I ever said a word about him. Three fights later, here we are. Be careful what you wish for,” Gordon warned.
On the face of it, Pimblett’s outing tonight is an opportunity to further raise his stock in the United States and steal the show at a major UFC event. But below the surface, a tale of a fallen teammate will no doubt be providing extra motivation for the charismatic Liverpool native.
Who do you think will have their hand raised in the UFC 282 co-main event, Jared Gordon or Paddy Pimblett?
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