"He's garbage compared to me"- Paddy Pimblett reveals his mindset going into the fight against Rodrigo Vargas at UFC London
Paddy Pimblett has revealed his mindset heading into his fight against Rodrigo Vargas, aka Kazula Vargas. Their lightweight bout will take place at the UFC London event in London, UK, on March 19th. It will mark the first time Pimblett has competed in his native land in the UFC.
Speaking to BT Sport’s Adam Catterall, Liverpool’s Paddy Pimblett suggested that Vargas will likely be overwhelmed by the raucous British crowd at the O2 Arena. Addressing his fight against Vargas, Pimblett stated:
“If it goes longer than two-and-a-half minutes, I’ll be disappointed. He gets finished sharpish, love; sharpish. He’s not on my level. It’s as simple as that. He’s garbage compared to me, lad. Like I told, win-win for him. If he comes into this fight and wins, ah, he’s beat Paddy ‘The Baddy.’ If he comes in and gets beat, it’s like, he was fighting Paddy anyway. So lose-lose for me. But I don’t give a f**k because I’m still gonna punch his head in, no matter where the fight goes.”
Additionally, Pimblett warned that if Vargas wants to engage in a stand-up battle, he’ll out-strike him. ‘The Baddy’ added that if Vargas wants to grapple, he’ll submit him or utilize ground and pound for the finish.
Furthermore, the UK MMA stalwart explained that the manner in which he beats Vargas will depend on how he feels on fight night. The 27-year-old pointed out that he might secure a single-leg takedown, dump Vargas on the floor, beat him up, and submit him. Pimblett indicated that he could alternatively strike with Vargas – slip his strikes and KO him with a backhand or hit him with a head kick.
Watch Paddy Pimblett’s conversation with Adam Catterall in the video below:
Paddy Pimblett wants a better contract before facing top-tier UFC competition
Paddy Pimblett was rumored to be fighting UFC lightweight mainstay Jared Gordon next. Regardless, Pimblett chose to face Rodrigo Vargas instead. In an edition of UFC Unfiltered earlier this year, Pimblett revealed why he isn’t facing top-tier UFC opposition despite being a well-known fighter.
Paddy Pimblett is Back!
@TheUFCBaddy vs Kazula Vargas is official for #UFCLondon 🇬🇧
Get your tickets early 🎟️ ufc.com/london https://t.co/LiVGnnZkXs
Apparently, for him to fight top-tier UFC competition, he’d like a better contract first. ‘The Baddy’ aims to get paid well for fighting tougher opponents. Pimblett said:
“I would have happily fought Jared Gordon, but at the same time, I looked at it, and he’s had nine UFC fights. How much money do you think he’s getting? He’s getting a lot more than me, so thinking about it that way, I’m glad I never ended up fighting Jared Gordon. Because I want a better and bigger contract before I fight people like that.”