Paddy Pimblett: Who Should “The Baddy” Fight Next?
After a phenomenal second-round, rear-naked choke finish to defeat Jordan Leavitt, the question that sparks many viewers’ minds is, “Who is up next against Paddy Pimblett?” As we continue to watch his career explode inside the octagon, his fame is increasing drastically outside of it as well after signing with the UFC. His fame alone lands him a great matchup and possibly a pay-per-view fight. These are the fighters I would match up against Paddy if I were Dana White.
Drew Dober
Drew Dober is another UFC Fighter who has a brown belt in Brazilian Jui-Jitsu and a black belt in Taekwondo. He previously fought with Titan Fighting Championship and Bellator before making the transition to sign with UFC. The reason I like this matchup between Dober and Paddy is that they’re both on the rise to (hopefully) a successful career in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. With Dober coming off a win in a back-and-forth fight between him and Rafael Alves, he has got to feel confident in his abilities to schedule a fight with the “hype train” in Pimblett.
Jalin “The Tarantula” Turner
Jalin Turner is an MMA fighter who has fought in multiple leagues with World Series of Fighting, Tachi Palace Fights, King of the Cage, and even Bellator MMA! The man has been in all sorts of leagues and has plenty of experience, with an overall record of 13-5 in all of MMA, and 7-2 in UFC. “The Tarantula” is also currently on a five-fight winning streak, which leads me to my reasoning on why this is a good matchup for Paddy. This would be his biggest test yet in the UFC, and maybe in all of MMA for “The Baddy.” Turner would be the first ranked fighter Paddy takes on, with Turner currently ranked No. 14 in the lightweight division. Some say it might be too early for Paddy to throw him in with a ranked fighter, but I feel as if Paddy’s fame will carry him into a fight such as this.
Gregor “The Gift” Gillespie
This matchup might be the most realistic one to get scheduled. A full year has gone by since Gillespie’s last fight in May 2021. This bout may determine if UFC releases him from the UFC roster should Gillespie lose. Let it be known that “The Gift” has only one loss in his career, falling to Kevin Lee back in Nov. 2019. Paddy losing to Gillespie, now 35 years old, would put the world in shambles, as he is close to finishing his career. I wouldn’t put it past Gillespie to slow down Paddy’s career with a win, as he has a lot of heart.
These are my favorite choices for Paddy Pimblett to fight next. The 27-year-old has a bright future and plenty of time to let it unravel. We are witnessing a rising star right in front of us ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to wake up.
