Paddy Pimblett reveals his toughest UFC opponent to date
While sitting down and discussing his UFC career during a recent episode of his podcast, Paddy Pimblett revealed who he believes was his toughest test since joining the UFC over a year ago.
Last time out, the scouser claimed a close unanimous decision victory over Jared Gordon, a result that was criticized by the majority of the MMA world. The popular lightweight struggled with his opponent's heavy strikes and pressure grappling throughout the clash, but was awarded a 29-28 win on each judge's scorecard.
Paddy Pimblett sat down with fellow Brit Tom Aspinall to discuss his hardest challenge in the octagon, with 'The Baddy' insisting it was his debut fight in the UFC.
"See my two [fight] didn't [age well]. They both got cut immediately... Lad, I'll be honest. I think my first fight was my toughest fight. Luigi Vendramini. He was very good, lad. But, he didn't catch a break, lad, because he was already 1-2 going into that [fight against me]. One he lost a majority decision and the other one he took at welterweight on short notice, you know what I mean?"
Since debuting in the UFC back in September 2021, Pimblett has gone 4-0 in the promotion and looks to be on the verge of superstardom. He is arguably one of the sport's most well-known athletes.
Despite the disrespect the former Cage Warriors featherweight champion is receiving from a wide selection of fans, he has three finishes in his four UFC outings and handed Jordan Leavitt his first-ever submission loss.
Check out what Paddy Pimblett had to say about his toughest opponent in the octagon in the video below.
How good is Luigi Vendramini, Paddy Pimblett's first UFC opponent?
Luigi Vendramini joined the UFC as an unbeaten prospect back in 2018. He had eight straight wins and eight straight finishes under his belt. He suffered his first defeat in his octagon debut.
The Brazilian was on the wrong end of a beautiful flying knee knockout at UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Anders just one minute into the second round. He managed to redeem himself in his next appearance, scoring a finish over Jessin Ayari over two years later.
Luigi Vendramini's following two bouts saw him lose to both Fares Ziam and the aforementioned Paddy Pimblett before being cut from the UFC. At just 26, the BJJ Black Belt has enough time to find his footing in the sport.