UFC signs former Cage Warriors champion Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett

One of the biggest names on the Cage Warriors roster is making his way to the UFC.

The promotion announced on Monday that former CWFC featherweight champion Paddy Pimblett has joined the fold, with a date and opponent for his UFC debut yet to be determined.

“He has been our poster boy for years but now it’s his time to go to the UFC and show them what he can do, and I, with the rest of the Cage Warriors team, wish him the best of luck,” Cage Warriors president Graham Boylan said in a statement.

Pimblett (16-3) is likely to compete at lightweight, having lost his featherweight title to Nad Narimani back in 2017 and subsequently competing at 155 lbs ever since then. He’s coming off a 97-second finish of Davide Martinez at Cage Warriors 122. The 26-year-old Liverpudlian holds a win over current UFC fighter Julian Erosa and his only stoppage loss came against Cameron Else in his fifth professional fight.

Paddy has built up quite a following in the United Kingdom and through his personality and fighting style he may become a fan favorite. He has visions of competing on a UFC card at Anfield, home to Liverpool FC of the English Premier League. Lightweight is an absolute shark tank and one of the deepest divisions in all of MMA, so his development as a UFC fighter is very much worth monitoring.

Here’s how Pimblett stopped Martinez by rear-naked choke last week.