Paddy Pimblett has now secured his eighth consecutive victory in professional MMA, achieving a first-round submission win over King Green at UFC 304. The Liverpool native’s impressive performance has earned him the 15th spot in the lightweight rankings. This victory marked the first time since 2009 that Green, an American fighter, has been defeated by submission.
Following his triumph, Pimblett shared exclusive behind-the-scenes footage on his YouTube channel. This video provides a glimpse into his pre-fight preparations as well as the celebrations after his significant win.
UFC Star Paddy Pimblett Summoned to VIP Room with UFC CEO Dana White
In one notable segment of the footage, Pimblett is seen being summoned into the VIP room by UFC President Dana White. While the video doesn’t reveal the details of their conversation, Pimblett did share what White communicated to him afterward. Pimblett recalled, “Hear what he said to me? He said, ‘F****** hell. Asked for 100k bonuses and then there’s seven decisions in a row.’ He went, ‘You might end up getting all the f****** money.’”
Dana White also mentioned during the post-fight press conference that Pimblett would receive a $200,000 bonus from the UFC. Originally, fight night bonuses had been set at $50,000, but they were increased to $100,000 following the press conference request. White, however, clarified that no further increases would be made in the future.
The video also captures Pimblett’s reaction to Leon Edwards losing his welterweight title to Belal Muhammad in the main event. Upon hearing the result, Pimblett commented, “Most boring champion ever.”
Before UFC 304
Before UFC 304, Pimblett was not in the top 15 of the lightweight division, with his previous win being against Tony Ferguson. His opponent, King Green, was ranked 15th due to notable victories over fighters like Jim Miller and Grant Dawson. With this win, Pimblett has now taken Green’s spot and entered the top 15 in the UFC lightweight rankings.
In his post-fight Octagon interview, Pimblett expressed his ambition to move up in the lightweight division. When Daniel Cormier asked if there was a particular opponent Pimblett had in mind, Pimblett responded, “I have a name that everyone wants me to fight. Renato Moicano! Hopefully, he gets through BSD [Benoit Saint-Denis], and we’ll see if we can settle it before the end of the year.”
Renato Moicano is scheduled to face Benoit Saint-Denis in a main-event bout in Paris at the end of September.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images and Embed from Getty Images
