Paddy Pimblett told Gary Neville to his face that he "hated" the Manchester United legend during his days as a player.
The UFC star was appearing on Neville's Sky Sports show The Overlap with close friend and fellow fighter Molly McCann to promote their upcoming bouts at UFC London. Pimblett will face Jordan Leavitt, while McCann will take on Hannah Goldy at The O2 arena in the promotion's second UK show of the year.
Pimblett is a hardcore Liverpool fan, who has travelled around Europe and the UK to watch his team play, including countless games against Manchester United. And he would have been watching from the stands or home during a number of Neville's battles with the Reds in his career where he won eight Premier Leagues, two Champions Leagues and a host of other trophies.
"I’m going to have to tell Gary what I told [Wayne] Rooney, aren’t I?" Pimblett told the former footballer during his appearance. "I used to hate you. Lad, when you played for United I used to hate you.
"I grew up watching you win absolutely everything - everything. And I used to hate United, up until about a year ago, I used to say Rooney wasn’t good he was overrated because I hated him so much. I had to say to him, lad to be honest Wayne, I used to f***ing hate you. I just told him."
Pimblett met Rooney backstage at his last fight in London, where the football legend was watching on at cageside. He was a more palatable character to McCann, who is an Everton fan and as such a bigger fan of his than Pimblett.
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And the Liverpool fighters have both become divisive characters with fans amid their rises to prominence in the UFC. Some believe their outspoken nature and gregarious characters are grating, while the numbers seem to indicate that they are very popular with a large amount of fans.
"I’m bringing everything else in," Pimblett explained. "I put bums on seats. I said I don’t like a fighter, I look like I should be trying to do a remake of Oasis. I look like I should be in a boyband or Jay off the Inbetweeners like everyone’s said.
"A random kid in the street could come down and think 'I’ll punch his head in,' which is why people like me, I’m a polarising figure you either love me or hate me. Then the people in the middle they see themselves in me, I get fat when I’m not fighting, I go out and have a laugh with my mates and I don’t take anything too seriously."
