UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling believes Paddy Pimblett is the “real deal” in terms of being the full package.
Last Saturday night, Paddy Pimblett went toe to toe with Luigi Vendramini in what proved to be a pretty fascinating lightweight encounter. Vendramini was able to land some nice shots on the Scouser but in the end, “The Baddy” managed to come out on top with a devastating first round finish.
The rest of the UFC roster was watching with anticipation and that includes current king of the 135-pound division Aljamain Sterling.
.Is “The Baddy” the real deal? There’s some things to tighten up but he may be the new name that other lightweights will be calling out@PaddyTheBaddy https://t.co/A55l3oUvAh pic.twitter.com/3G45A3DS1K
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) September 8, 2021
“I think he’s the real deal in terms of the package. Fun, talks a big game, walks a big game, performs. If he can continue to fight like that, great – but let’s be honest here. How many times can a fight play out in that sequence and you come out on top? It can happen, this is MMA, but I think it’s good for the UFC, as he said he’s the new cash cow, everyone is gonna be calling him out, I agree.”
There’s always room for fresh characters and personas in the UFC and regardless of what you may think of him, nobody can deny just how impactful Paddy Pimblett has been in such a short space of time. The train could easily come off the tracks in the future but for now, the focus is on where he goes from here.
Will Paddy Pimblett break into the UFC lightweight division’s top 15 in the next year? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments, BJPENN Nation!