Former UFC fighter Brad Pickett sees comparisons between Paddy Pimblett and Conor McGregor, with the fomer set to face Michael Chandler this weekend – the man who had long been expected to fight the Irishman.
Pimblett remains undefeated in the UFC while on a 6-0 run since joining in 2021, picking up statement wins over Tony Ferguson and Bobby ‘King’ Green in his last two.
The Liverpudlian fighter’s personality has been compared to McGregor’s since he joined the UFC and even had before then during his time with Cage Warriors, with the 30-year-old being one of the more entertaining fighters.
And Pickett told NetBet UFC fighting: “I love Paddy, he reminds me of Conor McGregor. Not in style, but in the way people hype him up. Conor had doubters throughout his climb, and he kept proving them wrong. I’m getting the same vibe with Paddy.
“People say he can’t beat guys like Tony Ferguson or Bobby Green, but he keeps winning. At this point, I’ve stopped betting against him. I’m just going to enjoy the fight. Chandler, who I’m actually friends with, is super talented but makes a lot of mistakes. Can Paddy capitalise on that? I’m genuinely excited to find out.”
Pickett is not the only one to compare Pimblett to McGregor, both having a similiar rise to the UFC and making a huge announcement to their careers in the octagon.
Pimblett faces by far the biggest test of his career when he faces Chandler, who will be the toughest opponent he has come up against.
But the Englishman has proven he’s capable of beating some of the best guys in the lightweight division, using his length as an advantage in the win over Green, scoring a first-round technical submission.
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This sees Pimblett come into the fight as the favorite, with him potentially being one or two fights away from a title shot should he continue at this pace.
Meanwhile, Chandler held out for over 18 months while wanting to face McGregor, which appears to have hurt his title chances – going on to lose for the second time to Charles Oliveira. A win for him, though, will put him right back into contention, amid talks that Islam Makhachev is considering a move up to welterweight should Jack Della Maddalena defeat his friend and current champion in Belal Muhammad.
