Conor McGregor's early UFC career 'playbook' considered similar to the rise of Paddy Pimblett
Paddy Pimblett looks like he's on a rocket ship towards super stardom, and his next opponent Jordan Leavitt believes the UFC is running the 'Conor McGregor playbook' to ensure 'The Baddy' makes it.
Leavitt hasn't been shy about sharing his feelings on Pimblett. He's very complimentary towards Pimblett as a personality, but not so much as a fighter. In a new interview with Middle Easy, Leavitt said:
"The UFC's doing very good at pushing Paddy. Doing the whole McGregor playbook, putting him against fighters that aren't going to really exploit your weaknesses too bad. And he's not acing the test. He's like that guy that's getting C- and Ds and graduating high school, getting signed off and getting his degree."
#UFCVegas36 Paddy Pimblett delivers a KO in his debut 🥴🔥#UFCVegas36
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"So everyone's like 'Oh his debut was amazing.' I'm like 'Dude, we see people get chinned all the time. It's never once been amazing until it was Paddy with the hair and the Scouser energy and all that awesome energy he brings. He does have an awesome energy, very interesting, infectious, and polarizing personality. So very intriguing individual. But his fights aren't impressive."
Watch the full interview with Jordan Leavitt below:
Leavitt challenged fans watching the interview to watch Paddy Pimblett's past fights and then his, and explain how Pimblett is a -400 favorite with the sportsbooks.
It's worth mentioning that not all betting lines open based on who's most likely to win. Bookies set their lines in an attempt to draw money on both sides of the betting line, so no matter who wins the sportsbook makes money. With Paddy Pimblett's massive popularity, it's no surprise the line is so slanted.
Jordan Leavitt plans on twerking in the cage after beating Paddy Pimblett
While Jordan Leavitt has some high quality wins with the UFC, he's best known for his outrageous dance routines in the cage following those victories.
#UFCVegas51Sound up for @dc_mma's reaction to Jordan Leavitt's celebrations 😆 #UFCVegas51 https://t.co/ZbdQl73Ir9
During a recent interview with 'The Schmo,' Leavitt confirmed he was planning to bust a move if he wins against Paddy Pimblett, no matter how the London crowd may react. He said:
“I’m kind of excited, ’cause they’re gonna get quiet when I finish the fight. And they’re probably gonna riot when I throw a twerk on them."
Leavitt's not too concerned about the possibility of having things thrown at him in the cage. He joked he's pretty good at bobbing, weaving, and dodging beer cans.
UFC London goes down from the O2 Arena on July 23 and features a heavyweight main event between Tom Aspinall and Curtis Blaydes.
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