"He's not a guy you would put in the scary category" - Chael Sonnen highlights the main difference between rising stars Paddy Pimblett and Khamzat Chimaev

Chael Sonnen recently explained the main difference between rising UFC stars Paddy Pimblett and Khamzat Chimaev. In an edition of his You’re Welcome! podcast, Sonnen harked back to Pimblett’s recent lightweight bout at UFC London on July 23.

Sonnen suggested that while ‘The Baddy’ wasn’t headlining UFC London, most fans attended the event to watch him. Additionally, he opined that given enough time to ascend the UFC rankings and with adequate high-level MMA training, Paddy Pimblett could become a UFC champion.

While pointing out the difference between Pimblett and Chimaev’s respective journeys to potential UFC superstardom, Sonnen explained that Pimblett isn’t as scary as ‘Borz’. Sonnen stated:

“The guy that most recent I could compare this to – the guy that was getting the attention, filling up arenas, taking headlines, and that people saw as, ‘Whoa, this is a diamond in the rough.’ – was Chimaev. But Chimaev was flat scary."

Chael Sonnen proceeded to highlight how Chimaev simply ran through most of his UFC opponents, which is what helped create an aura of intimidation. Sonnen added that Pimblett doesn’t have the same aura but can still be dangerous. He continued:

“That’s not what Paddy’s doing. Paddy’s doing it with control. Paddy is doing it with effort. He’s doing it with energy. He’s not a guy that you would put in the scary category. But make no mistake, when guys aren’t calling out Paddy, that is a sign of respect. They respect him. And that respect is through fear. But it's a different kind of fear, because it’s the different skills that he’s bringing.”

Moreover, Sonnen pointed out that Chimaev generally calls out possible opponents for his next fights, whereas Pimblett doesn’t specifically call anyone out. Sonnen believes that Pimblett ought to rectify this error and issue call-outs to specific opponents.

Check out Sonnen discussing the topic at 43:50 in the audio clip below:

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When Paddy Pimblett claimed to be a bigger star than Khamzat Chimaev

After making his UFC debut in September 2021, Paddy Pimblett proclaimed himself to be a bigger star than undefeated UFC welterweight Khamzat Chimaev. In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Pimblett said:

"Everyone knows it's me... I've had one fight and everyone's talking about me, lad. He's had f*****g what, four or five?"

Intriguingly, this came after Khamzat Chimaev revealed that he wanted his teammate Guram Kutateladze to fight Paddy Pimblett next. Presently, Pimblett is 3-0 in the UFC. His next opponent is yet to be determined. Meanwhile, Chimaev is 5-0 in the UFC and is scheduled to face Nate Diaz in the headlining fight at UFC 279 on September 10.

Do check out the video below on athletes' crossover into MMA: