UFC icon Chael Sonnen says that after his first-round submission, Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett is just two more wins away from the lightweight title.
As the UFC 304 crowd struggled to stay awake, it was left to the one and only Paddy Pimblett to bring the bouncy house energy to the Co-op Arena as he submitted veteran King Green inside the very first round.
Our attention now turns to what’s next for ‘The Baddy’, with some bold predictions already being made by some of the biggest names in all of mixed martial arts.
Paddy Pimblett wants to fight Renato ‘Money’ Moicano next
Talking to Daniel Cormier after his first-round submission victory over King Green in Manchester, Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett called out the ever-entertaining Renato ‘Money’ Moicano.
“I have a name that everybody wants to see me fight, Renato Moicano! Hopefully he gets through BSD and we’ll see if we can settle it before the end of the year or in the New Year.”
Moicano’s main event fight against Benoit Saint-Denis is scheduled for September in Paris, with Pimblett later telling Megan Olivi that he “could be sat cageside for that” bout as he hunts the Top 10.
Chael Sonnen argues Pimblett is two fights away from UFC title shot
Speaking on the UFC 304 post-show via the ESPN MMA YouTube channel, UFC legend Chael Sonnen made the case for Pimblett being just two fights away from securing a shot at the lightweight title.
“Paddy The Baddy is two fights [away], now they’ve got to be the right two fights, but he is two fights away from fighting for a world championship.
“And not just a title fight where the UFC will want to use him cause he’s good for business, but a title fight where we [as pundits] are saying ‘Paddy The Baddy should be next’ and at 155lbs, you know how big of a compliment that is?”
“That’s the hardest division in our sport, that has always been the hardest division in our sport,” explained ‘The Bad Guy’, as he also landed a rather poetic line about how impressed he’s been with ‘The Baddy’ so far in his fledgling UFC career.
“I don’t get it – I couldn’t tell one line that he’s ever said, but I’ve enjoyed them all… I don’t get it – I don’t see where his great striking is, but I’ve never seen him lose a kickboxing bout… I don’t get it – he was never a threat for any wrestling match in his life, but I’ve never seen getting out grappled.
“He knows how to compete, he knows how to be silly for the cameras and have [King] Green yelling at him like it’s a liquor store fight, and to go out there and [still] perform.”
Sonnen expanded on his two-fight title shot prediction via his YouTube channel, reiterating that the story of the UFC 304 isn’t that he gave Green his first submission loss since 2009, but that ‘The Baddy’ is blazing his way to the top of the lightweight division.
“Paddy winning this fight by submission is not the story of the fight, Paddy is now two fights away, and they got to be the right fights, two fights away from fighting for a world championship.
“The reality is that this ‘regional fighter’, this cute kid that says funny things who you like to call ‘Fatty’ because he eats donuts – he matters, [and] he’s going to have a ranking… He has two fights; the right two fights and he is two fights away from being in a world title fight.”
Interestingly, this prediction from Sonnen is remarkably similar to Pimblett’s own breakdown of the path he’ll take to the UFC lightweight championship.
Prior to UFC 304 in Manchester, the Liverpudlian superstar teased that he’ll need just four fights to earn a shot at the undisputed title: two less than Sonnen’s own pick.
“Well, obviously the fight with Bobby Green, then I fight [Renato] Moicano – Moicano’s ranked #10 at the minute but he’s fighting Saint-Denis so he could win or lose, he could end up going up or down.
“But I’d love Moicano and then [Beneil] Dariush would be perfect, he’s like rank seven or eight… And then someone in the top five, and then go for the belt [then] if possible.”
Whether either Sonnen’s or Pimblett’s route to the title come to fruition, the lightweight division has certainly been put on notice thanks to the viral win at UFC 304 – hopefully, we see the Scouse star return to action before the end of 2024 as he hunts the Top 10.