"Struggled to get Tony out of there" - UFC veteran doubts Paddy Pimblett's chances of beating ranked lightweight contenders
On an episode of Round-up w/ Paul Felder & Michael Chiesa, Paddy Pimblett's chances against the lightweight division's elite came up.
Felder and Chiesa were reacting to the events of UFC 296 and answering fan questions, when one fan asked how they thought Pimblett would fare against the top 15 at 155 pounds.
Felder responded first, saying:
"Well of course he can, it's MMA, anything can happen...but if we were to sit here and make bets and I had to predict, No, I really don't think so. I mean, he struggled to get Tony out of there, who looked the worst he has ever looked in his career."
Felder's co-host, Chiesa, went on to add:
"Right now, I'm telling you, he (Paddy Pimblett) can't. He can't...Paddy, the one thing I did see in his fight with Tony, there was a point in time where I thought Tony was a big lightweight. Paddy looked really big, like strong, much more physical fighter, and that kinda played into the fight with how he controlled Tony on the ground. Paddy, there is a point in time in which he might be able to crack the top 15, but it's not gonna be when he is young. I think it'll be when he hits that prime window, 31 to 35. I just don't see him now, there's still some developing to do."
Check out the clip here (15:28):
Matt Frevola calls out Paddy Pimblett, is open to fight in "his backyard"
Following Pimblett's UFC 296 win over Tony Ferguson, Matt 'The Steamrolla' Frevola called 'The Baddy' out for a fight sometime in 2024. Frevola took to X (formerly Twitter) and shared a poster for a potential fight between the two, alongside a caption which read:
"I think it's the fight to make but at the end of the day @seanshelby, @danawhite & The @ufc need to feel the same. His backyard or mine would be fun"
Check out the tweet here:
Frevola, who is coming off a knockout loss to Benoit Saint-Denis, is, much like Pimblett, just outside the top 15. With a win over the other, either man could see themselves with a ranking next to their name. For that reason, the fight does make sense. Whether the UFC brass will go for it, however, remains to be seen.