Paddy Pimblett has reacted to the praise he received from Teddy Atlas after his big debut win over Luigi Vendramini last weekend.
With the lights shining bright in Las Vegas, we saw the very best of Paddy Pimblett at the UFC Apex. He overcame adversity to knock Vendramini out and announce his arrival to the UFC masses.
One man watching closely upon Paddy Pimblett taking to the cage was none other than boxing legend Teddy Atlas, who had the following to say:
βThis Pimblett, his chin is extraordinary. I mean itβs granite. And he didnβt give any sign for the guy to have a chance to jump on him. So, I think maybe a star is born because first of all, itβs not just about being great - itβs about being able to sell yourself.β
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In response, 'The Baddy' was clearly humbled by what Atlas thought of his performance.
βReading stuff like this makes my day, sporting legends like Teddy Atlas bigging the bad man up, this is my favourite thing heβs ever said now but close 2nd is definitelyβ¦ βWERE FIREMEN!β Paddy Pimblett wrote on Instagram.
The continued rise of Paddy Pimblett
Itβs hard not to at least respect what Paddy Pimblett has achieved up to this point. But as we all know, thereβs a long way to go before he can start being talked about as one of the biggest stars in the lightweight division.
Still, it probably doesnβt hurt to have someone like Teddy Atlas singing your praises, especially so early on in his run.
Catch highlights of Pimblett's UFC debut below:
Paddy Pimblett has a lot to learn in this game and that much is obvious. However, itβs not always about being perfect. Sometimes, itβs about capturing the attention of the masses and reminding them of why fighters like Conor McGregor rose up so quickly.
The future is here, and Paddy Pimblett is going to remind us all of that fact for months and potentially even years to come; so buckle up.