Paddy Pimblett is among the most popular prospects on the UFC roster. The English fighter has had only five fights in the promotion and has already established a sizable fan following. However, โThe Baddyโ has faced criticism for his controversial win over Jared Gordon. According to Pimblett, commentators like Joe Rogan play a role in the controversy.
Paddy Pimblett fought Jared Gordon at UFC 282 and won the fight via unanimous decision. The decision was extremely controversial as many media outlets and experts had picked Gordon as the winner. In a recent interview, Pimblett mentioned that he believed he won the fight fair and square. Pimblett blamed the commentary team for fan backlash about his performance.
I watched the fight back. I watched with and without commentary. I can understand why people think I lost the fight with the commentary. I really can. Some stuff what commentator saying, I can see why people saying I lost.ย
Paddy Pimblett via MMA Guru YouTube channelย
Joe Rogan, who was part of the commentary team was visibly shocked by the judgeโs decision. During the octagon interview, he even asked Pimblett about the fight being close, but the Brit deflected the question. Rogan even talked about the fight on his podcast and mentioned that he thought Pimblett clearly lost the bout. It seems like the โBaddyโ was not a fan of all this.
Since that fight, Paddy Pimblett has extended his winning record and beat UFC veteran Tony Ferguson at UFC 296. This time, it was rather a clear victory, but it is important to note that Ferguson was on a six-fight losing streak. Nevertheless, the performance against Gordon still remains on fansโ minds. Even UFC CEO Dana White had an absurd reaction when the reporters asked him if Gordon was robbed.ย
During his early years in the UFC, Paddy Pimblett stormed into the promotion with massive hype. The former Cage warrior champion had a distinctive personality that caught the attention of fans. On top of it, the Scouser accent was the perfect recipe for the next Conor McGregor. However, everything has changed since then.ย
Pimblett caught heat from the fans after the UFC CEO blamed Gordon for not pursuing a finish. Fans accused the UFC of protecting the fighter. Dana Whiteโs weird post-fight press conference comments did not help in changing fansโ perspectives.
Gordon had a horrible game plan going into that third round. You think he won the first two rounds? With the judges? How do you know that? Why go in there and throw away the third round and not go in there and fight your ass off and try to win.
Dana White via UFC 282 post-fight press conferenceย
Whiteโs comments might suggest a favoritism towards Pimblett. After more than a year, the heat for Pimblett vs. Gordon scorecards has died down. Currently,ย Pimblett is scheduled to fight Bobby Green at UFC 304 and would like to continue his winning streak. Going forward, the Liverpool native has eyes on the lightweight title shot.
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