"If Conor McGregor never got his stadium show, which he hasn't, I don't think Paddy is going to" - Michael Bisping shuts down possibility of Paddy Pimblett headlining an Anfield stadium show
Michael Bisping doesn't think Paddy Pimblett's wish to compete in front of his hometown crowd at the Anfield Stadium in Liverpool will be fulfilled.
Pimblett picked up a big second-round submission win over Jordan Leavitt in front of his compatriots at the recently concluded UFC London event.
We may not see Paddy Pimblett fighting in the UK for a while after #UFCLondon.
Next stop: Anfield? 🤔 https://t.co/8RvVgu9gBl
Following the event, the Liverpudlian claimed he'll convince Dana White to ensure that the UFC holds an event at the Anfield football stadium. It is the home of British professional football club Liverpool F.C.
We may not see Paddy Pimblett fighting in the UK for a while after #UFCLondon.
Next stop: Anfield? 🤔 https://t.co/8RvVgu9gBl
Paddy Pimblett claimed that the O2 Arena in London, which hosted the most recent Fight Night event, is "too small" for him. He stated that the promotion must book a stadium the next time they visit the United Kingdom.
However, according to Michael Bisping, the UFC will do no such thing.
He pointed out that the promotion didn't hold a stadium event for Conor McGregor, arguably the biggest star in the world of combat sports right now. Hence, it is unlikely they'll grant Pimblett's wish.
On a recent episode of his Believe You Me podcast, Bisping said:
"If Conor McGregor never got his stadium show, which he hasn't, I don't think Paddy is going to. Paddy is a great star and god knows where he's going to go to, he's huge but McGregor's by far the biggest star in the sport. The man's an absolute phenom, love him or hate him. He never got a stadium show."
Watch the podcast below:
Paddy Pimblett's growing popularity reminds Dana White of Conor McGregor
Paddy Pimblett's popularity continues to grow with every single fight in the UFC and he's quickly turning into one of the biggest stars in the promotion. During his last fight against Jordan Leavitt, the entire O2 Arena chanted his name and the roof blew off when Pimblett managed to get the finish.
UFC president Dana White recently said that Pimblett has a "Conor McGregor vibe" about him. The UFC supremo also revealed that Pimblett's next fight will be at a pay-per-view event and not on a Fight Night card.
During a post-fight press conference following the debut episode of the Contender Series' latest season, White said:
"This kid, to talk about championship stuff right now, it’s a little too soon, but he’s got that Conor McGregor vibe... I think what we do next is we take him to either Boston or New York and he ends up on pay-per-view then you bring him to Vegas."