UFC President Dana White believes it’s never a bad idea for a fighter to be compared to a legend of the sport whilst discussing Paddy Pimblett and Conor McGregor.
‘The Baddy’ is one of the fastest-rising stars in the UFC since making his debut for the organization last year. A former Cage Warriors featherweight champion, Pimblett has impressed everyone in his three fights so far, finishing all his opponents and winning a Performance of the Night bonus in each of his outings.
Due to his meteoric rise and popularity amongst British MMA fans, Pimblett is being compared to Conor McGregor. The Irishman also made his namesake early on in his career with Cage Warriors, achieving double champ status as their featherweight and lightweight champion. A feat he also achieved in the UFC on his way to becoming MMA’s biggest star.
In an interview with TMZ Sports, Dana White stated that it is a compliment for Paddy Pimblett to be compared to a legend like Conor McGregor, given what he’s done for the sport:
“It’s never an insult when someone compares you to a great or one of the biggest names in the sport. It’s never an insult, it’s a compliment.”
Discussing Pimblett making his UFC PPV debut this weekend, White added:
“It’s a fun fight. It’s a good fight at the right time for both guys.”
Catch the full interview here:
Chael Sonnen weighs in on Paddy Pimblett vs. Ariel Helwani
Paddy Pimblett has been in the hot seat this past week after controversial comments were made about Ariel Hewlani.
Earlier this week, Pimblett welcomed Dana White on the latest episode of his Chattin’ Pony podcast. During the show, the pair spoke about Ariel Helwani when ‘The Baddy’ stated his dislike for the award-winning journalist. He believes Helwani only cares about making money from using fighter names.
Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen reacted to Paddy Pimblett’s comments on his YouTube channel. According to ‘The American Gangster’, the 27-year-old’s attack on journalists is a strange move:
“There’s not a secret there. If you think there is and you think that you just cracked a code and you advertise the code to the world because you’re the one that figured it out, you’re a little bit stupid.”
Sonnen added:
“It was a very bizzare thing for Paddy ‘The Baddy’ to say to a promoter who operates purely and solely on that exact premise of having something interesting. It’s a star driven business whether you like it or not. And the more people that come in, it affects the bottom line. I thought that was very bizarre for Paddy ‘The Baddy’ who operates under that promoter’s arm with that exact same premise.”
Catch the full video here: