Paddy Pimblett has been told that he "doesn't belong" in the UFC after landing a controversial victory over Jared Gordon.
The Brit travelled to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas last weekend for his pay-per-view debut, facing promotional veteran Gordon in the co-main event of UFC 282. And after a disaster fight week that saw his stock drop with fans through a series of public relations blunders, he stuttered to a decision victory in the fight itself.
Many fellow fighters and fans have called the bout a "robbery", insisting that Gordon did enough to win the first and third rounds, with some arguing he might have even won the second. And one fighter who was unimpressed with Pimblett was fellow UFC lightweight Bobby Green, a massive fan favourite.
Asked if he would be willing to face the Scouse fighter after watching him beat Gordon, Green told Eurosport : “Paddy would never take that fight, Paddy would never take that fight, okay. I know for a fact he would never take the fight. He doesn’t have enough skills to even dance with me.
"It would actually be disrespect if they put him in there with me. I’d have to get rid of him really fast because it would be disrespectful if we are in the same cage. He doesn’t even belong there, I actually think he’s an amateur fighter, he’s not even a professional, he’s an amateur.”
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Pimblett is a former Cage Warriors champion, and has fought as a professional 23 times, winning 20 of those and losing just three. However, despite landing three finishes within two rounds in his first four fights, he has failed to set the UFC alight just yet, and the likes of Green are unimpressed with his abilities.
However, the American would be willing to face Pimblett if the bout were offered, even though he feels it would do nothing for his brand as a fighter. “Of course, I would take it," he added. "I would take the easy money. At the same time, it wouldn’t do anything for my brand after I did it. It would be like, well he was supposed to. It wouldn’t do anything for me but I’d do it for s***s and giggles.”
Pimblett's trajectory in the UFC has seen him take incremental steps up since signing in September of last year and knocking Luigi Vendramini. His first two opponents were quickly released from the promotion after he stopped them, although his last two rivals Godon and Jordan Leavitt have both stuck around.
