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Paddy Pimblett made his UFC debut with a bang, knocking out Luigi Vendramini in the first round at UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Till. The finish earned 'The Baddy' a 'Performance of the Night' bonus and saw him live up to the hype that surrounded him ahead of last weekend's event.
Paddy Pimblett turned down the opportunity to join the UFC on two separate occasions. However, he finally accepted their offer earlier this year. Having honed his skills for years in the Cage Warriors promotion, Pimblett was confident he could immediately become a factor in the UFC lightweight division.
Few debuts in recent memory have been as highly anticipated as Paddy Pimblett's, and his sensational performance got a lot of people talking. Fans will now begin to look forward to his next bout to see if he can continue to live up to expectations.
With that said, here are five potential next opponents for the Liverpudlian:
#5. Alexander Hernandez vs. Paddy Pimblett
Alexander 'The Great' Hernandez may be the fighter on this list operating at the highest level. But there are several potential issues with a clash between him and Pimblett.
Hernandez is already scheduled to take on Leonardo Santos on October 2. With Pimblett likely to be after a second fight soon, scheduling could be a problem. 'The Great' may also be too big of a step up in competition for Pimblett at the moment. The UFC matchmakers may want to avoid their latest cash cow losing his hype.
For this fight to happen, Hernandez would likely need to lose to Santos in a fashion that sees him keen to return to action as soon as possible. Perhaps at that point, the UFC would go ahead and pair him with Pimblett for a fight towards the end of this year.
Additionally, while Hernandez is very skilled and even boasts a first-round KO of the No.3-ranked Beneil Dariush, he has also been on the wrong end of a highlight-reel finish.
If this bout was to happen and Paddy Pimblett was able to find success against Hernandez, his star power would sky-rocket.
#4. Khama Worthy vs. Paddy Pimblett
While Khama Worthy may not be nearly as big a name as Paddy Pimblett, he is four fights into his UFC run and has stopped two opponents. But Worthy has not exactly taken the lightweight division by storm. He's suffered first-round knockouts in each of his last two fights.
This may be one reason why the UFC would make this fight. It's likely they'll look to protect Pimblett, given his potential stardom. With 'The Baddy' unlikely to be able to take on a big name so soon in his UFC career, why risk him losing to a lesser-known opponent?
Worthy presents a good option for Paddy Pimblett. That's because he is currently without a fight and has recently seemed prone to getting knocked out. If Pimblett is able to add another knockout to his UFC resume, his hype will only increase.
#3. Clay Guida vs. Paddy Pimblett
While Guida is no longer operating at the level that saw him defeat Nate Diaz, Rafael dos Anjos and Anthony Pettis, he remains a real threat. His two bouts this year saw him beat Michael Johnson and come very close to handing Mark Madsen his first professional loss. Guida lost a narrow split decision.
These performances are likely to hurt his chances of facing Paddy Pimblett next. The UFC may not want to risk Guida causing an upset. With that being said, Guida will turn 40 later this year and has lost four of his last six.
On top of that, Guida has considerable name value and could be an opportunity for Pimblett to add his first big-name victory to his UFC resume. While this bout could carry significant risk for Pimblett, it may be worth the gamble.
#2. Roosevelt Roberts vs. Paddy Pimblett
Roosevelt Roberts may not be as well known as Paddy Pimblett, but the 27-year-old has already racked up nine fights in the organization. As a result, he carries more of a reputation than many of the other unranked lightweights Pimblett is likely to face next. While Roberts sports a 10-3-1 record, he also doesn't seem to carry the threat that UFC matchmakers would like to avoid for their potential star.
Roberts would have been on a 3-fight losing streak had his loss to Kevin Croom not been overturned. The fight was declared a no contest after Croom tested positive for marijuana. Roberts' last win was over Brock Weaver, who, while being a popular fighter in his own right, is no longer in the UFC.
Roberts presents a good match-up for Pimblett. He is an established UFC name that 'The Baddy' ought to be beating if he is as good as advertised. A win over Roberts would cement Pimblet as a rising star in the division and allow him to build his UFC resume.
Another fun element of this one would be the contrast in seeing the not-so-threatening-looking Pimblett taking on the mean-looking Roberts.
#1. Michael Johnson vs. Paddy Pimblett
Michael Johnson has been in the octagon with some of the sport's best, including Khabib Nurmagomedov. He even owns a victory over Dustin Poirier. As a result of these battles, Johnson is a name that many UFC fans are familiar with.
Adding Paddy Pimblett to his list of opponents seems like a move that could help further the hype currently surrounding 'The Baddy.' The positives from the Guida match-up still apply with Johnson, only with less risk since Johnson is on a four-fight losing streak.
This bout would be a great way of continuing to introduce Paddy Pimblett to the UFC audience. It is also a bout Pimblett should be winning if he is serious about taking the lightweight division by storm.
