1 week Ago By Alexander K. Lee
Paddy Pimblett | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Paddy Pimblett has at least one major supporter of his championship dreams.In a recent YouTube video posted by Demetrious Johnson, the flyweight GOAT had high praise for Pimblett as he broke down a couple of Pimblett’s past victories. “The Baddy” fights Michael Chandler this Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 314 at Kaseya Center in Miami.
Johnson went as far as to say he sees Pimblett’s ceiling as being the very top of the UFC’s lightweight division.“I can’t wait to see him get to the point where—Like, I think one day he will be champion,” Johnson said. “I think if he doesn’t be a champion, it will be like one of the guys who were really good and never became [champion].
Like a Urijah Faber or Joseph Benavidez. He does everything right as of now in this fight at this time in his career and when he fought [King Green].”The two Pimblett fights Johnson chose as the subject for his study were Pimblett’s 2018 triangle choke submission of Alexis Savvidis and his 2024 triangle choke submission of King Green at UFC 304.
In those bouts, Pimblett’s impressive grappling was on display.Johnson credits Pimblett for not just being tough (in 25 pro bouts, Pimblett is yet to lose by knockout), but for having a level of technique that his opponents have had difficulty matching.“A lot of people don’t see how Paddy got to where he is,” Johnson said.
“Paddy has had criticism about the way he fights because he gets hit a lot. One of the things I love about Paddy is that he always brings it when he fights. When he’s in trouble, he brings it.
When he’s winning, he brings it. He’s so diverse in his attacks and when he fights, he’s very good.”Pimblett looks to improve to 7-0 in the UFC with a win over Chandler on Saturday.
He is coming off of back-to-back victories over veterans in Green and Tony Ferguson, and Johnson appreciates how Pimblett’s approach to the game hasn’t changed as his level of opposition has ramped up.“He did the exact same thing in 2018,” Johnson said. “This fight against [Green] took place in 2024.
So that’s what people don’t understand is that Paddy Pimblett’s always fought like this. You guys only see the part where he’s talking brash, when he gets fat, and all that stuff, but he’s able to create scrambles and come out on top of those scrambles and submit people.“So if he’s fighting Michael Chandler and Michael Chandler hits him two times, pushes him against the cage, takes him down, Pimblett’s going to be looking to do some beautiful jiu-jitsu work, try to catch him.
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Live Combat Sport Schedule: 4/9- 4/13Complete schedule w/ fight cards, PPV & free live streams HERE:▶️https://t.co/aPlPXr826J#UFC314 #BootsStanionis #PFLWorldTournament #ACA185 #LFA206 #LFL17 #CombateGlobal #ShootBoxing #DEEP #CFC26 #EFC122 #FNC22 #Unified61 #XFN400 #WOW18 pic.twitter.
com/VbezqSbXLq— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) April 9, 2025Back at it. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Leon "Rocky" Edwards (@leonedwardsmma)Shake it off, Chucky.OhThat hurts https://t.
co/k4LgLrUHfU— Charles 'DoBronxs' Oliveira (@CharlesDoBronxs) April 9, 2025Get well, soon. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Geoff "Handz of Steel" Neal (@handzofsteelmma)Memories. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Stefan Struve (@stefan_struve)Please, Bigfoot just.
.. hang ‘em up.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Antonio Silva (@bigfootsilva)FINAL THOUGHTSI’ve long thought Paddy Pimblett is a better fighter than he gets credit for, so seeing a big brain like Demetrious Johnson on the same page is heartening. In truth, making it to the top of the lightweight division is damn near impossible and there’s not a reasonable soul that would pick Pimblett to beat Islam Makhachev right now.But if Pimblett wins on Saturday, it becomes a distinct possibility that he at least challenges for the title in the near future, and that’s a [Mike] heck of a feat on its own.
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