Daniel Cormier doesn’t expect Paddy Pimblett’s popularity to dip after his controversial win at UFC 282.
Pimblett (20-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC) defeated Jared Gordon by unanimous decision in this past Saturday’s co-main event at T-Mobile Arena, a result that left Gordon and many others stunned.
Cormier scored two rounds out of the three for Gordon and questions what the judges were actually looking at in Round 3. Judge Chris Lee awarded Pimblett the final round.
“I thought Paddy Pimblett lost. I really did,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “I thought Jared Gordon won the third round, I felt Jared Gordon won the first round. … They’re putting a lot less emphasis on octagon control, especially against the side of the cage. Jared Gordon did not land much in the third round when he was clinching Paddy Pimblett, and I don’t know why. They don’t really give much credence to that anymore, and Pimblett landed more significant strikes in Round 3 even though that was only like two significant strikes, because Gordon was able to press him up against the side of the octagon so much.”
He continued, “Many said this would be the toughest test to date for Paddy Pimblett, and it absolutely proved to be just that. Jared Gordon was game, he was tough, and Paddy Pimblett did really take advantage of the moment. He said until you’ve experienced one of his walkouts, you don’t really know what to expect.”
Although Cormier thinks Pimblett did not live up to the hype with this performance, he doesn’t expect his stock to drop.
“He showed that he’s game, but there were some mistakes,” Cormier added. “Chin is too high up in the air still. He’s looping far too many of his punches. He’s a star, and honestly the reaction and the reception that he got hasn’t been seen this early since Conor McGregor. But here’s the difference: Conor McGregor won, and Conor McGregor won at a championship level.
“This was Paddy’s step up. If he would have wiped Jared Gordon out as he did in his first few fights in the UFC, people would be much more excited. Does the performance hurt his star power? Absolutely not. He will still be as big as he was before.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 282.
