On the main card of UFC London, we saw the second octagon appearance from arguably the biggest prospect from the UK. Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett (18-3) was back as he took on Rodrigo Vargas (12-5).
All eyes were on Paddy Pimblett as the UFC is gearing up for a major push of Paddy Pimblett. He already has a sizable following and he’s the first UFC fighter to be sponsored by Barstool Sports.
The promotion has eased him into things by feeding him the first two opponents that he’s had. While Rodrigo Vargas isn’t a pushover, Pimblett had tougher competition during his days with Cage Warriors.
When the UFC London fight started, Pimblett dealt with some adversity. It appeared that an overzealous Pimblett was hurt with a shot from Vargas that caused the two men to go to the ground. Vargas had top position, but it didn’t last long.
Pimblett was able to get to his feet and he ultimately used a throw to take down Vargas. Once on the ground, Pimblett was able to advance and secure the back of Vargas. He locked up the rear naked choke for the win and the UFC London crowd went crazy.
What’s next after UFC London?
Now that he’s won his second fight in the UFC, it’s time for the promotion to amp up the competition. In my opinion, the sexiest fight that can be made is a grudge match with Ilia Topuria.
Topuria was also on the card and scored a second round knockout over Jai Herbert to kick off the main card. Earlier in the week, Pimblett and Topuria had a fight at the hotel and that was caught on tape by Topuria’s camp.
After Topuria’s win, he called for a matchup with Pimblett. While that’s the fight I would love to see, the UFC won’t make it. These two have a ton of hype and potential, and I think the promotion would like to build them both up a little more before the match happens.
If that fight isn’t an option, I would like the UFC to give Pimblett someone with a name that could really test him. Perhaps a guy like Jim Miller. This would be a big step up and a true test to see how good Pimblett is. Miller looks better than ever and he wouldn’t be intimidated by the English contender.