Paddy Pimblett’s controversial resume
Tony Ferguson was on a six-fight losing streak when he fought Pimblett and would go on to never win a fight in the UFC again.
Pimblett then fought King Green, who was 38 at the time, compared to Pimblett, who was 30.
The bout proved that experience is not everything as it only lasted three minutes and 22 seconds, ending via a brutal submission.
Most recently, Pimblett fought Michael Chandler, who has only one win in the past five years, which was also over Tony Ferguson.
This has led fans to wonder if the UFC is giving Paddy Pimblett easy fights in order to boost his status as a celebrity rather than a fighter.
His social media flame wars, post-fight weight gains, and TV show appearances are all evidence that both him and the UFC are trying to capitalise on his following while appearing to be a rising prospect of the sport.
Paddy Pimblett’s activity within the sport could also be questioned, with him averaging one fight a year since 2023 and having taken minor damage in these fights.
This means there is no excuse for his lack of activity besides his famous post-fight weight gain, which does not allow him to take short notice fights and require longer fight camps.
A damaged veteran
To his credit Gaethje is a step up in opponent for Pimblett, however, Gaethje is six years older, and those years have not been kind as he has featured in some of the most brutal fights the sport has seen.
Gaethje has one of the highest significant strike absorption rates per minute (SapM) at 7.8, according to the UFC’s official stat page.
To put this in context, Dustin Poirier, a similar fighter, has a SapM of 4.7.
All of this to say, Gaethje has absorbed a lot of damage over his career.
Factor in the knockout he faced fighting Max Holloway, and it is easy to see why a lot of people are questioning his chin.
READ MORE: MMA opinion: One promotion, one story – Exploring the UFC’s narrative machine