According to a former boxing champion, UFC lightweight Paddy Pimblett has a lucrative future in the ring.
Pimblett has made a splash on MMA’s biggest stage since making his UFC debut with a memorable comeback knockout of Luigi Vendramini in 2021.
‘The Baddy’ has since stayed unbeaten in the Octagon and moved his promotional record to a perfect 7-0. And the Scouser is coming off his biggest win to date in Miami this year.
Pimblett dominated Michael Chandler at UFC 314, stopping the former Bellator champion via TKO in round three. That result elevated the former Cage Warriors titleholder to No. 8 in the lightweight rankings.
With that, Pimblett’s UFC title hopes have received a significant boost. But should the 30-year-old’s focus switch from gold to money down the line, he’s been told of potentially huge paydays in a different sport.
Paulie Malignaggi backs Paddy Pimblett for massive boxing paydays
During a recent interview with Spin Genie, former boxing champion Paulie Malignaggi assessed the growing stardom of Pimblett in combat sports.
‘Magic Man’ believes MMA boasts a superior viewership to boxing, paving the way for sizable paydays in the ring for some of the biggest UFC stars.
Given how he views ‘The Baddy’, Malignaggi thinks the charismatic Scouser could make as much as $20 million for his very first pro boxing match.
“Paddy Pimblett is a guy that’s now so big that his base (purse) would probably start at 20 million dollars if he were a boxer,” Malignaggi said. “Because that’s what you’re talking about now, he’s maybe one of the biggest, if not the biggest star in MMA.
“So you have to compare him to the biggest star in the sport of boxing that moves the needle like that. And to tell you the truth, MMA guys probably move the needle more than the biggest boxer. Because I think MMA overall sells more pay-per-views. It sells more viewership.
“So that’s why I say, at the very minimum, Paddy would be starting at 20 million dollars for his next fight, plus pay-per-view points. This is the model we have in boxing.”
If Malignaggi is right, Pimblett could double the purse taken home by heavyweight star Francis Ngannou in his first foray into the ring.
After leaving the UFC as champion to pursue his boxing ambitions, ‘The Predator’ made a reported $10 million for his high-profile match with then-WBC heavyweight king Tyson Fury.
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Paddy Pimblett has his sights on a UFC grudge match for now
As it stands, Pimblett has his full focus on the cage and his plan to have UFC gold wrapped around his waist inside of it.
‘The Baddy’ currently doesn’t have a champion to target, but he could have a bitter rival placed in his crosshairs should Ilia Topuria beat Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 in their vacant lightweight title fight.
Pimblett shares a rivalry with ‘El Matador’ dating back to their near-brawl at the fighter hotel before a UFC London event in 2022. Years later, the pair remain hostile toward one another, and Topuria recently described his “hate” for Pimblett during an interview with ESPN Deportes.
“He’s a hypocrite,” Topuria said. (h/t @ChampRDS on X). “I remember we shared a press conference once and he said something like, ‘I’m fighting on the main card and you’re on the prelims.’
“Now I’m thinking, I have two belts, where are you? Who the f–k is Paddy Pimblett right now? And why would he deserve to fight me?
“Honestly, if I could choose a fight, I would fight him because I hate him,” Topuria continued. “He’s a pain in the ass.
“I’d love to give that fight to the fans. For a long time, I believe that in the UFC you haven’t seen a real fight. Two people who really want to fight each other, and what better way than to fight in front of everyone and put on a show.”
Pimblett is expecting to require one more victory to secure his place opposite the Oliveira vs Topuria winner, and he’s hoping that comes against former interim champion Justin Gaethje.