Paddy Pimblett is well-known for having his fair share of opponents and detractors within the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Ever since making his debut in the leading MMA promotion after achieving title success under the Cage Warriors banner, Pimblett has consistently stirred up controversy.
Affectionately known as `The Baddy`, he has maintained an unbeaten record through seven fights in the UFC so far. The performances and outspoken remarks from the Liverpool native have ignited numerous rivalries along his journey.
Potential future clashes inside the octagon include his near-brawl with Ilia Topuria and verbal sparring with fighters such as Renato Moicano. However, the rivalry currently attracting the most attention involves a top contender in the lightweight division, who has made his strong disapproval of Pimblett quite clear.
Chael Sonnen Dismisses Arman Tsarukyan’s Criticism of Paddy Pimblett
The war of words between Pimblett and Arman Tsarukyan intensified following the Liverpudlian`s comprehensive victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in April.
This led Tsarukyan to publicly propose a fight against `The Baddy` within the current year. However, this challenge was rejected, with Pimblett instead expressing his intention to face Justin Gaethje, predicting their fight would happen in October.
Visibly annoyed by this response, the Armenian fighter launched a firm tirade against Pimblett, accusing him of receiving special advantages and “handouts” from the organization.
Yet, the validity of this specific claim has been strongly questioned by former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen.
“I’ve heard other guys say similar things about Paddy, but is it true?” Sonnen asked rhetorically. “No, it’s not.”
Sonnen elaborated, “Paddy has not had more title shots than he should have at this point in his career, he hasn’t had more main events than he should have had…hasn’t fought more champions than a regular person would have had they not had the favors and had not been given shortcuts.”
“As a matter of fact, Paddy hasn’t had any world title fights. As a matter of fact, Paddy’s never been the main event,” Sonnen continued, setting the record straight. “I just want to look at it from that perspective. … He’s not trying to skip the line.”
Paddy Pimblett Issues Response to Arman Tsarukyan
While Paddy Pimblett clearly has the support of Chael Sonnen, the ascending lightweight fighter is certainly not one to back down from a verbal exchange himself.
As expected, Pimblett was quick to deliver his own reply to Tsarukyan.
Posting on social media, `The Baddy` retaliated against the No. 1-ranked contender, branding him a “rich boy” who was given everything on a “silver platter” by his father.
Pimblett`s comment references Tsarukyan’s privileged family background, a detail the Armenian fighter has been open about since gaining prominence in the UFC.
Gareth Pendleton