Watch: Paddy Pimblett is promoted to first degree black belt
Paddy Pimblett announced himself as the UFC's newest rising star with a stunning knockout victory in his debut at UFC Fight Night 191. The lightweight will look to add more submission victories to his resume after receiving a first-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
PADDY PIMBLETT GETS IT DONE IN ONE! 🔴
WHAT A KNOCKOUT! 💥
TAKE A BOW, @PaddyTheBaddy! 🙌
#UFCVegas36 https://t.co/chshpTEXsD
'The Baddy' was presented with the belt in front of his teammates at Next Generation MMA in Liverpool. Once the ceremony was over, he engaged in a competitive rolling session with his compatriots, where he submitted Cage Warriors fighter Adam Ventre.
Watch the full video of Paddy Pimblett receiving his black belt below:
Pimblett impressed many UFC fans when he knocked out Luigi Vendramini in the first round of his promotional debut. The Englishman had nine prior first-round victories on his resume, which generated much hype among fans before his first UFC showing.
Besides being good on the feet, the 26-year-old is also highly skilled on the ground. Check out his flying triangle against Alexis Savvidis at Cage Warriors 90 below:
Throwback to Paddy Pimblett’s flying triangle 🔥 https://t.co/eFRxOxi28U
Donald Cerrone to potentially fight Paddy Pimblett in a future bout
Paddy Pimblett could be crossing paths with Donald Cerrone in a future bout. A fight between the two lightweights has been rumored for quite some time, with Sean O'Malley recently giving his opinion on it.
The Liverpool native is riding high on his spectacular UFC debut, and a win against a veteran like Cerrone could do his career a world of good.
Pimblett's aspirations resemble that of a young Conor McGregor, who made a stellar first impression in the UFC against Marcus Brimage. The Englishman will be looking to take the same career path as 'Notorious'.
On the other hand, Donald Cerrone has been on the decline these past few years and is winless in his last six UFC fights. 'Cowboy' will hope to rekindle some excitement around his name by stopping the Paddy Pimblett hype train in its tracks.