05 January 2023 , 10:20
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UFC legend Michael Bisping has called for Paddy Pimblett to "humble himself" as his rise in the sport continues.
Pimblett has recorded four victories in the UFC with his most recent coming in controversial fashion against Jared Gordon at UFC 282 last month. The Liverpudlian is becoming one of the most recognised names on the roster and has been called out by a number of high-profile stars including YouTuber Jake Paul and bitter rival Ilia Topuria.
He has regularly suggested that other fighters in the promotion are using his name to gain attention and build their own profile. But former UFC champion Bisping has pointed out that Pimblett has yet to fight a ranked opponent so needs to remain focused on his fighting career.
"I think what Paddy needs to do is just humble himself a little bit,” Bisping said on his ' Believe You Me' podcast when discussing Pimblett's reputation. “Stop with this ‘I’m the new cash cow’ s****. When I asked him who would he want to fight next, ‘I don’t need to say anyone’s name because I am the man. I’m the boy, I’m the cash cow.’ And you’re yet to fight someone ranked.
"When you’re dominating people, it’s all well and good. When you’re scraping by a victory, it doesn’t have the same effect, and it starts to rub people off the wrong way. Nobody in the top ten, certainly in the top five, needs Paddy to give them a rub. Dustin Poirier, Islam Makhachev, Charles Oliveira, these are household names in mixed martial arts.
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"They don’t need Paddy to say their name to get a few Instagram followers. The whole ‘pay me for interviews’ thing, I think that left a bad taste in people’s mouths. Again, I’m not hating. I’m just being honest in what I saw.”
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MMA fans began to turn on Pimblett after his recent antics during his previous fight week where he demanded that he was paid for interviews. Many also suggested he was fortunate to have his hand raised following a tough outing against Gordon, and it remains unclear when he will return to the cage.
Pimblett wants to become a future UFC champion but is not willing to rush into fighting top ten opponents, despite drawing comparisons to Conor McGregor. And MMA star Brendan Loughlane has suggested that Pimblett does not have the credentials to reach the top ten.
"Paddy's marmite, you love him or you hate him. I don't think he did himself any favours," Loughnane told Sky Sports. "I'm just being brutally honest, I know Paddy, I like Paddy but he's not top 10 material in the UFC. He's not. Maybe he thinks he is but I really don't and I know, I train with the top 10 UFC guys on a regular and I know the levels. It's scary. The 155lb top ten is insane."