Paddy Pimblett is confident UFC boss Dana White will eventually bring the promotion to Anfield despite dismissing the prospect of a stadium show in the UK.
Avid Liverpool fan Pimblett has been calling for the UFC to come to Anfield after complaining that The O2 arena in London, which has a capacity of 20,000, is too small. Anfield currently holds 53,500 fans and will be increased to 61,000 once the arena's expansion is finished in the 2023/24 season.
Speaking of the UFC's possibility on going to Anfield whilst on the Spinning Backfist MMA show, White recently said: "I'm not going outside. I'm definitely not going outside in f***ing England. Listen, if you're going to go outside you go to Abu Dhabi where it's hot as hell and absolutely not going to rain."
Pimblett has now reacted to the tweet by citing White's 2011 comments in which he said women would "never" fight in the UFC, replying: "My man also once said women will never fight in the UFC... then Ronda [Rousey] came along. Ya boy gonna do the same thing Anfield we coming baby."
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The UFC will return to England for the second time this year by holding another Fight Night card at The O2 arena on July 23. Pimblett was the star of the show when the promotion held their first London event in three years back in March, submitting Kazula Vargas in the first round.
White said the promotion wanted to return to England because of the success of the March event, stating: "After the card in March, we knew we needed to turn right around and go back there again. That market is so bada** and so fun.
“Anyone who’s watching this right now, if you haven’t been to a UFC fight in England I’m telling you, f****** take a summer vacation, go over to London and check this thing out. It is so much fun to go to these live events in the UK – it’s like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Fellow Liverpudlian Darren Till headlined the UFC's first and only event in Liverpool four years ago, beating Stephen Thompson at the Echo Arena. Pimblett has dismissed fighting at the arena because of its 11,000 capacity and would only want to fight in Liverpool if at Anfield.
Pimblett is scheduled to fight Jordan Leavitt at UFC London in his third appearance for the promotion. Leavitt has just one loss in 11 professional fights and recently took a jab at Pimblett's excessive weight gain outside of training camp.
