Liverpool lightweight Paddy Pimblett has promised another spectacular finish when the UFC returns to London next month but is already dreaming of a fight at Anfield.
The 27-year-old will take on Kazula Vargas at the O2 Arena on 19 March aiming to build on a memorable debut victory over Luigi Vendramini in September.
Plenty of attention was already on Pimblett before his maiden outing at UFC Fight Night 191 and it has only ramped up since an absorbing first-round win but despite earning a performance bonus, he is yet to have a proper meeting with president of the sport Dana White.
“The first ever time I met Dana, I was in the Barstool studio and he was on the podcast before I was,” Pimblett said on Tuesday at a UFC London media event.
“I had a quick, short conversation with him but I haven’t got the chance to speak with Dana much. I hope he is in the O2 Arena when I walk out and get the finish because it is going to be spectacular.
“The amount of people saying they want to see the UFC back in Liverpool, they’ll have to do a football stadium real soon.
“I am not being funny or trying to put other fighters down, but I can sell the O2 out on my own. Just put me on and I would sell it out, so they need a football stadium when I’m the main event – that’s a fact.”
For now ‘Paddy the Baddy’ is happy to build up more experience before he is given a title shot, hitting back at criticism of his selected opponent Vargas, who has lost two of his three UFC fights.
I can sell the O2 out on my own. Just put me on and I would sell it out, so they need a football stadium when I’m the main event - that’s a fact.
The mixed martial arts fighter from Huyton boasts a record of 17 wins from 20 MMA bouts but will be stepping into the Octagon for only the second time in March when the sport returns to London for the first time in three years.
Pimblett added: “I know for a fact every time I get a fight announced, people will be moaning but what do you want me to do? Fight someone in the top-15 in my second fight?
“It is stupid but they are the casuals for you, the casuals haven’t got a clue about the sport. I am fighting another person who has had a few fights in the UFC.
“I should be fighting people like that at this stage of my career but obviously people want to see me get fast-tracked which says a lot about me.”
The nature of his statement success at the UFC Apex has brought more eyes on the Briton but he is adamant little has changed despite accidentally ignoring direct messages on social media from musicians Big Shaq and Lewis Capaldi in addition to YouTuber and one-time boxer Logan Paul.
“People have said to me, ‘What is it like being a celebrity?’ but I am no celebrity. I am just Paddy from Huyton. I will never think I am better than anyone. I am just a young kid who has started doing MMA and believes in himself. People like that,” the Liverpudlian insisted.
“If you go back and watch interviews and podcasts before I got signed by the UFC, I always said, ‘I will get signed by the UFC, I’ll get a finish and I’ll get one interview in the cage and everyone will know who I am’.
“I have always said it and it will continue. I have seen it all in my head and planned it all out. I know for a fact I will be winning that belt and fighting at Anfield in front of my home crowd, I just know.”
Pimblett’s focus for the time being is on another memorable showing on the undercard of Tom Aspinall’s fight with Alexander Volkov before he switches his attention to another important battle.
“We’ll beat them [Manchester City] at the Etihad,” he said about his beloved Liverpool. “And then Stevie G will win us the league on the last day when Man City play Villa.”
UFC Fight Night: VOLKOV vs ASPINALL tickets go on sale from 10am GMT on Friday, February 4 via AXS and Ticketmaster. To stay up to date with the latest ticketing information, register your interest via UFC.com/London.
