Paddy Pimblett is very confident in his grappling as he edges closer to a UFC title fight.
Pimblett (22-4 MMA, 7-0 UFC) hasn’t competed since a dominant submission of former title challenger Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in April. He is back in training camp after a lot of traveling, and is prepping as if he could potentially be next for lightweight champion Ilia Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC), whom he faced off with at UFC 317 in June.
“The Baddy” compared his grappling to newly crowned middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC), who mauled Dricus Du Plessis to claim the belt at UFC 319.
“Obviously, I’ve got to get that striking timing better if I’m fighting ‘El Chorizo,'” Pimblett said of Topuria on his YouTube channel. “That’s a lot of what I’m going to work on. But my grappling always feels phenomenal. When I get people on the floor, they don’t get up, lad. I smother people.
“Like Khamzat against DDP … once I get you down and I’m on top of you, I’m smothering you, lad. You’re not getting up. I’m controlling you. I’m making you feel my weight, and making you feel some shots at the same time.”
With Topuria’s first title defense yet to be announced, Pimblett is still waiting to hear news on what’s next for him.
“I don’t know when the next fight is going to be,” Pimblett said. “We’re just building towards it, waiting, trying to find out, so when we know, you will know.”
