Pimblett made his MMA debut a year after Gaethje...

[ExitLUPin]

Gaethje made his MMA debut in August of 2011. Pimblett made his MMA debut in October of 2012.

I keep seeing pro-Pimblett people saying, "he'll be back" or he's going to improve from this, like he's still a prospect or something. Pimblett was a prospect like 8 years ago. He and Soren Bak were considered 2 of the most promising European LWs back in 2018, and when they fought, it was supposed to be a highly competitive fight... And it wasn't. Bak thoroughly dominated him with multiple 10-8s. Gaethje and Gordon are the 2 best fighters he's fought since, and he looked clueless in both fights, and got thoroughly dominated by Gaethje.



If anything, after the damage and confidence hit he took that fight, there's a better chance he's a worse fighter going forward. Is it impossible that Pimblett gets better from this fight? No, but it's highly unlikely based on the history of fighter trajectories and mileage. Not sure why people think this is just a bump in the road.

 

[El Fernas]

I was expecting a different game from him, ground game is where he shines, has WMMA level striking...

 

[linvillegorge]

He lost to a stud. You're acting like he's on a three fight skid or lost to a bum.

 

[theincognito]

He's shown recent improvement, especially post Jared Gordon.

It would be damn near impossible to not improve his striking if he worked on it more, possibly with a different coach. There's much room for improvement there.

 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Cereal Gone throws that same strike with high success

 

[Russie]

Far from a prospect and I don't many were viewing him that way. We finally saw him in a war know now with certainty that he belongs with those top guys in the division. He will get back to a title shot. I am hopeful at some point we see him against Ilia.

 

[ExitLUPin]

He's shown recent improvement, especially post Jared Gordon.

It would be damn near impossible to not improve his striking if he worked on it more, possibly with a different coach. There's much room for improvement there.

Gaethje is the first live body he fought since Gordon. I'm not sure how representative "improvements" are against the versions of Ferguson, Green and Chandler he fought (combined 0-13 going into their fight with him). Green's only win in the last 3 years is a SD against UFC debutant, Lance Gibson. Ferguson is only winning fights against social media influencers, and his last real win was in 2019. And that Ferguson is Chandler's only win in the last 5 years. There is a reason that was Pimblett's return fight after a year off from the Gordon fight.. Pimblett's UFC run has been so manufactured, it's difficult to say what he has actually improved upon since the Gordon fight.

 

[El Fernas]

To be fair he is 31...Gaethje is 37 with MANY more MMA miles on him.

Having said that, his punching form is bad, standing up isnt his thing.

 

[Mr.Maelstrom]

I think he make improvements, but they would likely be incremental at best. He's huge for 155, and is probably leaving a lot on the table as a result of his weight cut getting harder.

Problem is that WWs will crack even harder were he to move up

 

[Neck&Neck]

He’ll be back
He’s going to improve from this

 

[JBJ was here]

He's shown recent improvement, especially post Jared Gordon.

It would be damn near impossible to not improve his striking if he worked on it more, possibly with a different coach. There's much room for improvement there.

No he hasn't. Given his age, experience, and the fact that Paddy didn't change anything much about his training, the odds are overwhelmingly in favor of the notion that Paddy looked better in his three post-Gordon fights not because he got better, but because his opposition got much worse.

What exactly is the mechanism by which Paddy is supposed to have gotten better? He was already at peak athletic age, didn't make major training or lifestyle changes, didn't change camps, and had already been fighting professionally for over a decade, so mere experience wasn't going to do the trick. How, specifically, did he do something to improve? Complete speculation is welcome, but I doubt it will help.

 

[europe1]

Pimblett's UFC career-managment is some of the best we've ever seen. He's been ruthlessly scouting out the age-number of his opponent. When they move past 35 he starts smelling blood. Even Justin was clearly a deteriorated version of himself. To bad Paddy wasn't good enough to scout out Justin's eyepokes.