"He's fought the who's who of lightweights and welterweights" - Paddy Pimblett's fight prediction backfires after Rafael Fiziev beats Rafael dos Anjos
Paddy Pimblett put forth his prediction for the much-awaited five-round lightweight matchup that headlined UFC Vegas 58 on Saturday, July 9. As seen in a video posted to the Full Reptile YouTube channel, Pimblett picked Rafael dos Anjos to beat Rafael Fiziev in the aforesaid fight.
Rafael dos Anjos is a former UFC lightweight champion who has achieved great success in both the lightweight (155-pound) and welterweight (170-pound) divisions. Regardless, the veteran fighter ended up getting viciously stopped by Fiziev in the fifth round.
ON THE BUTTON! 🎯
@RafaelFiziev wasn't letting this one go to the judges! He finishes RDA in the 5th round! 💪
#UFCVegas58 https://t.co/luefgM9Ojf
In a thrilling war that almost went the distance, Fiziev knocked out RDA with a left hook to finish the former UFC lightweight champion. Needless to say, Pimblett’s prediction for the RDA-Fiziev matchup spectacularly backfired. Predicting the fight on the Full Reptile YouTube channel, Pimblett had stated:
“I’m going with the old veteran, dos Anjos. He’s fought the who’s who of lightweights and welterweights in the UFC. And I think he’s gonna grind Fiziev out to a decision also.”
Fiziev was ranked No.10, whereas dos Anjos stood at No.7 in the official UFC lightweight rankings heading into their fight. Nevertheless, fans can expect these rankings to change after Fiziev’s impressive performance against RDA.
Watch Pimblett discuss the topic at 11:52 in the video below:
Paddy Pimblett breaks down his upcoming UFC London fight against Jordan Leavitt
Paddy Pimblett is widely regarded as one of the most popular UFC fighters today. The 27-year-old is a former Cage Warriors featherweight champion and has been touted as a future UFC champion. Be that as it may, Pimblett is still just 2-0 in the UFC and is yet to prove his mettle in the world’s premier MMA organization.
Paddy Pimblett is currently competing in the UFC lightweight division and is scheduled to face Jordan Leavitt at UFC London on July 23. Leavitt is regarded by many as a notable step-up in competition from Pimblett’s previous UFC matchups. Many believe that Leavitt’s grappling prowess, in particular, poses a threat to ‘The Baddy’ in their much-awaited showdown.
In a video posted to his official Paddy The Baddy YouTube channel, Paddy Pimblett broke down his upcoming matchup against ‘The Monkey King.’ The Liverpool native acknowledged that Jordan Leavitt is a BJJ black belt. With that said, ‘The Baddy’ warned that he’ll likely knock Leavitt out on the feet in the first five minutes of their fight. Pimblett said:
“I'm gonna come out and put it on him in a big way and he'll wilt under the pressure in the first or early second, and I'm gonna finish him, simple as."
Watch Pimblett's assessment in the video below: