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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Farah Hannoun

Paddy Pimblett says he’d fight Matt Frevola upon UFC return: ‘Probably the easiest route into the top 15’

Paddy Pimblett sees Matt Frevola as an easy ticket into the UFC’s lightweight rankings.

Frevola (11-3-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC) challenged Pimblett once again after knocking out Drew Dober in this past Saturday’s UFC 288 featured prelim at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., which marked Frevola’s third consecutive knockout.

“Paddy Pimblett, you absolutely suck,” Frevola said during his in-cage interview with Joe Rogan. “Stop being a b*tch and let’s fight. You’re on a four-fight win streak. I’m on a three-fight win streak. If you’re in the UFC, you can’t pick and choose your fights. You’ve got to fight who the fans want to see you fight.”

Frevola is one of many fighters to call out Pimblett (20-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC), who’s currently recovering from ankle surgery. But once Pimblett is cleared to compete, he appears open to fighting Frevola.

“Bit of a weird time to call me out when I can’t even train,” Pimblett responded in a recent Instagram post. “But (yes) I’d fight Frevola when I’m back, probably the easiest route into the top 15.”

However, Frevola will likely have to wait for a while. Pimblett recently said he’d be lucky to compete in 2023 and is yet to return to training.

“I’ll get back in the gym when I can pal,” Pimblett said. “For now, the doctors have told me I cannot train.”

Pimblett hasn’t competed since a controversial decision win over Jared Gordon last December at UFC 282. Prior to that, “The Baddy” earned bonuses for finishes over Luigi Vendramini, Rodrigo Vargas, and Jordan Leavitt.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 288.

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