Paddy Pimblett thinks he is the biggest name in the UFC after just two wins in the promotion.
Former Cage Warriors champion Pimblett was signed to the UFC last year and won his promotional debut by knockout against Luigi Vendramini. He returned to action earlier this month at UFC London, surviving an early scare against Kazula Vargas to win by first round submission.
The buzz that Pimblett received after his UFC debut saw him sign a seven-figure deal with media company Barstool Sports. Despite being one of the promotion's biggest stars, Pimblett is on the UFC's most basic salary package and was only guaranteed £9,000 for his most recent fight.
Pimblett ranked his UFC stardom alongside Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey, stating: “I’m probably the biggest name in the sport,” he said on an episode of UFC Destined. "There’s Ronda Rousey, there’s Conor McGregor and now there’s Paddy the Baddy, lad.”
McGregor rose to`stardom after clearing out the UFC featherweight division on his way to dethroning longtime champion Jose Aldo in 2015. 'Notorious' then moved up in weight and won the 155-pound title to become the first UFC fighter to hold belts in two weight classes simultaneously.
Rousey was the UFC's first-ever female champion in the UFC. After the promotion merged with Strikeforce in 2013, Rousey transcended women's MMA by dominating her opponents in the UFC.
An Olympic gold medalist in judo, Rousey used her grappling skills to submit opponents with her trademark armbar. She lost her bantamweight title in 2015 to Holly Holm in a massive upset and subsequently retired from fighting after being knocked out by Amanda Nunes in her final fight.
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UFC boss Dana White recognises that Pimblett has the potential to match McGregor and Rousey's stardom, but he thinks the Liverpudlian has got to keep winning fights if he is to reach their level.
“People love him and now Paddy has got to get in and put in the work and win the fights," he told talkSPORT. "People love Conor and Conor came here and did what he set out to do. If Paddy can get in here and win these fights, he’ll be a huge superstar.”
Pimblett admitted that he doesn't want to fight a ranked opponent at 155-pounds until he racks up four more wins. The 27-year-old is hoping to negotiate a new contract with the promotion and earn more money after his next fight.
